Sexuality and intimate relationships are a significant part of life and wellbeing. For most people, sexuality and its expression are a natural
and important component of self-concept, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life.

Factors such as culture, religion and self-esteem contribute to how a person experiences sexuality. While MS may alter functioning, the desire for a sexual identity, love, affection and intimacy remains. Given this, sexuality may be a source of significant frustration for many people with MS. This issue of MS in focus presents a discussion of intimacy and sexuality. Often these topics are not easy to discuss. This is true for people with MS as well as for many healthcare professionals.

For some individuals and couples living with MS, intimacy and sexuality receive little or no priority, and instead their focus and emotional resources are concentrated on dealing with other problems related to the disease.

Whether a person is in an intimate relationship or not, it is a challenge to maintain a sexual identity and take care of one’s sexual self-esteem (how one feels about oneself as a sexual being) while dealing with a chronic illness such as MS. It is particularly challenging in cultures where society places importance on qualities that are not always consistent with chronic illness, such as beauty, health and independence.

With this issue of MS in focus we hope to increase awareness of the fact that sexual problems are a direct result of demyelination, can be a result of other MS symptoms and that psychological, social and cultural aspects influence an individual’s sexuality.

We also hope that this issue will serve as a resource for professionals who encounter difficulties in discussing intimacy and sexuality issues with people with MS.


Michele Messmer Uccelli
Editor