Effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving the sexuality of women with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review. 2020

Antonio Esteve-Ríos, and Sofia Garcia-Sanjuan, and Antonio Oliver-Roig, and María José Cabañero-Martínez
Department of Nursing, University of Alicante, Alacant, Spain.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving the sexuality of women with multiple sclerosis. METHODS MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase and the Cochrane Library, as well as doctoral thesis databases Teseo and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and the grey literature database Opengrey were searched, last on 15 October 2019. Journals related to the topic were also consulted. The bibliographic references of the articles included were reviewed. METHODS Studies were selected if they included women with multiple sclerosis in whom interventions aimed at reducing sexual dysfunction were applied. Data extraction was carried out by two independent reviewers. The Jadad scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies included. RESULTS In total, 12 clinical trials were selected, and 611 patients were examined. Studies were classified into six interventions: sexual therapy (4), pharmaceutical drugs (3), pelvic floor exercises (2), yoga (1), mindfulness (1) and vaginal devices (1). Most of them improved some primary outcomes of sexual dysfunction such as lubrication, arousal, desire or orgasm. Pain was the most common secondary outcome evaluated and it became better in two studies including sexual therapy and in one intervention with pelvic floor exercises. Tertiary outcomes such as anxiety or depression were rarely examined, and they improved with sexual therapy and with OnabotulinumtoxinA. CONCLUSIONS Sexual therapy, administration of OnabotulinumtoxinA, pelvic floor muscles exercises alone or combined with electrostimulation and the use of clitoral devices could be the most recommended interventions to improve the sexuality in women with multiple sclerosis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009103 Multiple Sclerosis An autoimmune disorder mainly affecting young adults and characterized by destruction of myelin in the central nervous system. Pathologic findings include multiple sharply demarcated areas of demyelination throughout the white matter of the central nervous system. Clinical manifestations include visual loss, extra-ocular movement disorders, paresthesias, loss of sensation, weakness, dysarthria, spasticity, ataxia, and bladder dysfunction. The usual pattern is one of recurrent attacks followed by partial recovery (see MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, RELAPSING-REMITTING), but acute fulminating and chronic progressive forms (see MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, CHRONIC PROGRESSIVE) also occur. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p903) MS (Multiple Sclerosis),Multiple Sclerosis, Acute Fulminating,Sclerosis, Disseminated,Disseminated Sclerosis,Sclerosis, Multiple
D004599 Electric Stimulation Therapy Application of electric current in treatment without the generation of perceptible heat. It includes electric stimulation of nerves or muscles, passage of current into the body, or use of interrupted current of low intensity to raise the detection threshold of the skin to pain. Electrotherapy,Electrical Stimulation Therapy,Interferential Current Electrotherapy,Therapeutic Electric Stimulation,Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation,Therapy, Electric Stimulation,Electric Stimulation, Therapeutic,Electrical Stimulation, Therapeutic,Electrotherapy, Interferential Current,Stimulation Therapy, Electric,Stimulation Therapy, Electrical,Stimulation, Therapeutic Electric,Stimulation, Therapeutic Electrical,Therapy, Electrical Stimulation
D005081 Exercise Therapy A regimen or plan of physical activities designed and prescribed for specific therapeutic goals. Its purpose is to restore normal musculoskeletal function or to reduce pain caused by diseases or injuries. Rehabilitation Exercise,Remedial Exercise,Therapy, Exercise,Exercise Therapies,Exercise, Rehabilitation,Exercise, Remedial,Exercises, Rehabilitation,Exercises, Remedial,Rehabilitation Exercises,Remedial Exercises,Therapies, Exercise
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012735 Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological Physiological disturbances in normal sexual performance in either the male or the female. Sex Disorders,Sexual Disorders, Physiological,Sexual Dysfunctions, Physiological,Physiological Sexual Disorder,Physiological Sexual Disorders,Physiological Sexual Dysfunction,Physiological Sexual Dysfunctions,Sexual Disorder, Physiological
D019529 Sexuality The sexual functions, activities, attitudes, and orientations of an individual. Sexuality, male or female, becomes evident at PUBERTY under the influence of gonadal steroids (TESTOSTERONE or ESTRADIOL), and social effects.

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