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Sexual problems in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Lilius, H. G., Valtonen, E. J. and Wikström, J. (Departments of Physical Medicine and Neurology, University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland). A questionnaire which allowed anonymous answering and which also included many other questions besides those dealing with sexual life was sent to 302 patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Sexual life had changed for 91% of males and 72% of females. About half of the patients replied that their sexual life was unsatisfactory or had ceased altogether. These patients were as a rule in a relative poor physical condition. In males, disturbances in erection (62%) were the most common problem, erection was normal in only 20%. In females the essential figures were: loss of orgasm in 33%, loss of libido in 27% and spasticity in 12%. There was no correlation between the incidence of sexual disturbances and the duration of the MS. It seems that the neurological disturbances in sexual life depend simply on the location of the plaques in the central nervous system.

A double-blind trial was carried out to study the effect of roentgen radiation treatment in 104 patients presenting 127 painful disorders of the joints and muscles. 64 disorders received genuine treatment and 63 had sham treatment. Improvement occurred in 59% of the genuinely treated group and in 65% of the placebo group. The results were about the same 2 weeks and 6 weeks after termination of treatment. Thus there was no significant difference between the groups.

A questionnaire which allowed anonymous answering and which also included many other questions besides those dealing with sexual life was sent to 302 patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Sexual life had changed for 91% of males and 72% of females. About half of the patients replied that their sexual life was unsatisfactory or had ceased altogether. These patients were as a rule in a relative poor physical condition. In males, disturbances in erection (62%) were the most common problem, erection was normal in only 20%. In females the essential figures were: loss of orgasm in 33%, loss of libido in 27% and spasticity in 12%. There was no correlation between the incidence of sexual disturbances and the duration of the MS. It seems that the neurological disturbances in sexual life depend simply on the location of the plaques in the central nervous system.

No abstract