Characterization of perceived sexual function and reproductive intention in patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) globally affects about 2.8 million people, and is considered the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system as well as the leading autoimmune cause of neurological disability in young adults. Neuromyelitis optica spectrum (NMO) is another immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system with a global prevalence of 5/100 000 population.
Sexual dysfunction (SD) is one of the most reported problems in these two diseases, with a prevalence between 45.3% and 90%. Also, in subjects with chronic diseases such as MS and NMO, the fertility rate may be more reduced than in the general population. Patients may have doubts about parenthood due to fear of having children with a diagnosis of MS, exposure of the fetus to disease-modifying therapies, and limitations in childcare secondary to disability, among others.
Considering that sexuality and reproductive intention depend on cultural, religious and social factors, extending studies to other regions such as Latin America may provide additional information. Most studies assess reproductive intention in women, and in relation to SD, studies in NMO are scarce. Exploring reproductive intention in male subjects will allow us to recognize the importance of men's participation in this decision. Thus, this study proposes to characterize the perception of sexual function and reproductive intention in men and women with MS and NMO in Colombia through the application of a digital survey.
A descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative and qualitative approach will be conducted in a sample selected at convenience among patients with MS or NMO over 18 years of age who attend the researchers' consultation, who do not have neurological sequelae of spinal cord trauma, cranioencephalic trauma or cerebral infarction, and who agree to participate in the study. Cases responding to the survey between April 2023 and October 2023 will be described.
Statistical analysis will be performed in the JASP program. Univariate, bivariate and
univariate, bivariate and multivariate descriptive analysis of all the variables in the study will be performed and, based on measures of central tendency, frequencies, ranges and averages, the behavior of each one will be described.
From the open-ended responses, category analysis will be used to determine the presence of themes and patterns that emerge from the data. From the categories, the responses will be coded and a categorical or thematic analysis will be made according to the results obtained.