Sexual satisfaction, self-esteem and acceptance of illness among relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis patients

Purpose: To evaluate the level of sexual satisfaction and self-esteem of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Additionally, the relationship between these two features and the acceptance of the disease was analysed.

Methods: The following were used: Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS, adaptation by Juczyński), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (SES, adaptation by Dzwonkowska, et al.), The Scale of Sexual Satisfaction (SSS by Nomejko), The Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and original questionnaire on sociodemographic data.

Results: No statistically significant differences in the level of self-esteem and sexual satisfaction among MS patients and healthy individuals were found. Verification of the relationships between variables showed a moderate negative correlation between the level of acceptance of illness and disability, and moderate positive correlation between the level of self-esteem and the level of sexual satisfaction. The level of disability of people with MS is the determinant of the acceptance of illness.

Conclusions: The study shows new opportunities for exploring issues related to the process of adaptation and acceptance of MS as a chronic disease. Efforts should be made to raise self-esteem of MS patients and attention should be paid to the problem of sexuality in patients with MS, because the role of these features increases as the disease progresses, more and more determining their quality of life.