Sexuality & MS: a guide for womenIntroduction
This book has been produced for women who have MS and are finding it hard to enjoy fulfilling sexual activity.
This book is relevant for women with MS – those who are single, those in long standing or new relationships, gay or bisexual. If you are experiencing sexual problems and are in a relationship, partners can also be affected, so we have included a section for them to read. This may help them understand what you are experiencing or feeling and help you share the problems and work together toward finding solutions.
All the books on MS only seem to offer men any help with sexuality.
Judith
MS requires us to overcome barriers and to discuss issues which are intensely personal and which before our illness we would have been able to keep private had we wished. Issues like incontinence and lack of mobility, for example, things which are hard to discuss and painful to admit to. I would urge everyone to be more open to solutions and to discussion than they might have been before their diagnosis.
Esther
This guide explains how MS can impact on a woman's sexual response and offers some practical solutions for coping with symptoms that can interfere with sexual activity. Not all women with MS will find that their sex life is affected. Not all sexual problems are related to MS.
I can find that when I am having a relapse, I lose the sensation in my genital area. This is quite weird and I always wonder if the sensation will return, but as the relapse settles I find that the feelings come back too.
Mary
If sex is painful, tiring or just not what you need sometimes, then the solution is to be able to say so. No one should feel under pressure to 'deliver' as it were!
Esther
MS is a very individual and variable condition; no two people experience the same symptoms in the same way so not all of the information contained in this book will be relevant to you. You can pick and choose the sections that are most applicable to your situation.
Many of us find it really hard to talk about sexual matters and this book suggests ways to raise the subject. This might be with friends, partners or health professionals involved in your care.
Throughout the book, we include quotes from women who share their experiences of living with MS and offer tips for minimising its impact on sexual and intimate relationships.
It is important to follow guidelines on safer sex to avoid unplanned pregnancy and to protect against the risk of sexually transmitted infection. Further information on safer sex is available from your local family planning clinic, from the FPA (Family Planning Association) www.fpa.org.uk or www.playingsafely.co.uk.
Please note: The information provided in this book offers guidelines and ideas for addressing sexual problems; by no means does it cover every possible situation you may encounter.