Sexual Motivation in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study

Petra Prinssen; Peter Joseph Jongen; Marco Heerings; Elia Wyverkens; Guy T'Sjoen; Ellen Deschepper; Marieke Dewitte

doi:10.2147/DNND.S401457

Sexual Motivation in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study

Petra Prinssen, Peter Joseph Jongen^*, Marco Heerings, Elia Wyverkens, Guy T'Sjoen, Ellen Deschepper, Marieke Dewitte

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Sexual motives are major determinants of sexual behaviour. It has been known that sexual motives may vary according to circumstances. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease causing a broad range of symptoms and disabilities, that often interfere with sexual activities. We aimed to investigate the sexual motives in persons with MS.Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study in 157 persons with MS and 157 controls matched for age, gender, relationship, duration of relationship and educational status via propensity score matching. The Reasons for Having Sex (YSEX) questionnaire assessed the proportion with which a person had engaged in sexual intercourse for each of 140 distinct motives to have sex. Estimated mean differences in scores for four primary factors (Physical, Goal attainment, Emotional, Insecurity) and 13 sub-factors, and sexual satisfaction and importance of sex were calculated as Average Treatment Effect of the Treated using 99% confidence intervals.Results: Persons with MS reported a lower proportion of engaging in sex compared with the controls for the factors Physical (-0.29), Emotional (-0.23) and Insecurity (-0.10); and for the physical sub-factors Pleasure (-0.48), Experience seeking (-0.32), Stress reduction (-0.24), and Physical desirability (-0.16), the emotional sub-factors Love and commitment (-0.27) and Expression (-0.17), and the insecurity sub-factor Self-esteem boost (-0.23). In the control group seven of the top 10 sexual motives were physical versus five in the MS group. The importance of sex was lower in the MS group (-0.68).Conclusion: Findings of this controlled cross-sectional study suggest a reduction in the number of sexual motives in persons with MS, especially of physical motives related to pleasure and experience seeking. Health care professionals may consider assessing sexual motivation when dealing with persons with MS who suffer from decreased sexual desire or another sexual dysfunction.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	33-44
Number of pages	12
Journal	Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease
Volume	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2147/DNND.S401457
Publication status	Published - 28 Jun 2023

Keywords

sexual motivation
reasons to have sex
importance of sex
YSEX questionnaire
sexual motive
multiple sclerosis
QUALITY-OF-LIFE
WOMEN
DYSFUNCTION
DESIRE
MEN

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10.2147/DNND.S401457Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{b4daf04c8f5f43af9c7444405ce88b9f,

title = "Sexual Motivation in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study",

abstract = "Purpose: Sexual motives are major determinants of sexual behaviour. It has been known that sexual motives may vary according to circumstances. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease causing a broad range of symptoms and disabilities, that often interfere with sexual activities. We aimed to investigate the sexual motives in persons with MS.Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study in 157 persons with MS and 157 controls matched for age, gender, relationship, duration of relationship and educational status via propensity score matching. The Reasons for Having Sex (YSEX) questionnaire assessed the proportion with which a person had engaged in sexual intercourse for each of 140 distinct motives to have sex. Estimated mean differences in scores for four primary factors (Physical, Goal attainment, Emotional, Insecurity) and 13 sub-factors, and sexual satisfaction and importance of sex were calculated as Average Treatment Effect of the Treated using 99% confidence intervals.Results: Persons with MS reported a lower proportion of engaging in sex compared with the controls for the factors Physical (-0.29), Emotional (-0.23) and Insecurity (-0.10); and for the physical sub-factors Pleasure (-0.48), Experience seeking (-0.32), Stress reduction (-0.24), and Physical desirability (-0.16), the emotional sub-factors Love and commitment (-0.27) and Expression (-0.17), and the insecurity sub-factor Self-esteem boost (-0.23). In the control group seven of the top 10 sexual motives were physical versus five in the MS group. The importance of sex was lower in the MS group (-0.68).Conclusion: Findings of this controlled cross-sectional study suggest a reduction in the number of sexual motives in persons with MS, especially of physical motives related to pleasure and experience seeking. Health care professionals may consider assessing sexual motivation when dealing with persons with MS who suffer from decreased sexual desire or another sexual dysfunction.",

keywords = "sexual motivation, reasons to have sex, importance of sex, YSEX questionnaire, sexual motive, multiple sclerosis, QUALITY-OF-LIFE, WOMEN, DYSFUNCTION, DESIRE, MEN",

author = "Petra Prinssen and Jongen, {Peter Joseph} and Marco Heerings and Elia Wyverkens and Guy T'Sjoen and Ellen Deschepper and Marieke Dewitte",

year = "2023",

month = jun,

day = "28",

doi = "10.2147/DNND.S401457",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "33--44",

journal = "Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease",

publisher = "Dove Press Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sexual Motivation in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

T2 - A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study

AU - Prinssen, Petra

AU - Jongen, Peter Joseph

AU - Heerings, Marco

AU - Wyverkens, Elia

AU - T'Sjoen, Guy

AU - Deschepper, Ellen

AU - Dewitte, Marieke

PY - 2023/6/28

Y1 - 2023/6/28

N2 - Purpose: Sexual motives are major determinants of sexual behaviour. It has been known that sexual motives may vary according to circumstances. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease causing a broad range of symptoms and disabilities, that often interfere with sexual activities. We aimed to investigate the sexual motives in persons with MS.Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study in 157 persons with MS and 157 controls matched for age, gender, relationship, duration of relationship and educational status via propensity score matching. The Reasons for Having Sex (YSEX) questionnaire assessed the proportion with which a person had engaged in sexual intercourse for each of 140 distinct motives to have sex. Estimated mean differences in scores for four primary factors (Physical, Goal attainment, Emotional, Insecurity) and 13 sub-factors, and sexual satisfaction and importance of sex were calculated as Average Treatment Effect of the Treated using 99% confidence intervals.Results: Persons with MS reported a lower proportion of engaging in sex compared with the controls for the factors Physical (-0.29), Emotional (-0.23) and Insecurity (-0.10); and for the physical sub-factors Pleasure (-0.48), Experience seeking (-0.32), Stress reduction (-0.24), and Physical desirability (-0.16), the emotional sub-factors Love and commitment (-0.27) and Expression (-0.17), and the insecurity sub-factor Self-esteem boost (-0.23). In the control group seven of the top 10 sexual motives were physical versus five in the MS group. The importance of sex was lower in the MS group (-0.68).Conclusion: Findings of this controlled cross-sectional study suggest a reduction in the number of sexual motives in persons with MS, especially of physical motives related to pleasure and experience seeking. Health care professionals may consider assessing sexual motivation when dealing with persons with MS who suffer from decreased sexual desire or another sexual dysfunction.

AB - Purpose: Sexual motives are major determinants of sexual behaviour. It has been known that sexual motives may vary according to circumstances. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease causing a broad range of symptoms and disabilities, that often interfere with sexual activities. We aimed to investigate the sexual motives in persons with MS.Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study in 157 persons with MS and 157 controls matched for age, gender, relationship, duration of relationship and educational status via propensity score matching. The Reasons for Having Sex (YSEX) questionnaire assessed the proportion with which a person had engaged in sexual intercourse for each of 140 distinct motives to have sex. Estimated mean differences in scores for four primary factors (Physical, Goal attainment, Emotional, Insecurity) and 13 sub-factors, and sexual satisfaction and importance of sex were calculated as Average Treatment Effect of the Treated using 99% confidence intervals.Results: Persons with MS reported a lower proportion of engaging in sex compared with the controls for the factors Physical (-0.29), Emotional (-0.23) and Insecurity (-0.10); and for the physical sub-factors Pleasure (-0.48), Experience seeking (-0.32), Stress reduction (-0.24), and Physical desirability (-0.16), the emotional sub-factors Love and commitment (-0.27) and Expression (-0.17), and the insecurity sub-factor Self-esteem boost (-0.23). In the control group seven of the top 10 sexual motives were physical versus five in the MS group. The importance of sex was lower in the MS group (-0.68).Conclusion: Findings of this controlled cross-sectional study suggest a reduction in the number of sexual motives in persons with MS, especially of physical motives related to pleasure and experience seeking. Health care professionals may consider assessing sexual motivation when dealing with persons with MS who suffer from decreased sexual desire or another sexual dysfunction.

KW - sexual motivation

KW - reasons to have sex

KW - importance of sex

KW - YSEX questionnaire

KW - sexual motive

KW - multiple sclerosis

KW - QUALITY-OF-LIFE

KW - WOMEN

KW - DYSFUNCTION

KW - DESIRE

KW - MEN

U2 - 10.2147/DNND.S401457

DO - 10.2147/DNND.S401457

M3 - Article

C2 - 37404329

VL - 13

SP - 33

EP - 44

JO - Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease

JF - Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease

ER -