MSVirtual 2020 – Poster Abstracts

Abstract

Background: With an average age of onset of about 20-40 years,
\nMS usually manifests during early adulthood, which is considered
\nto be a critical period for the development and maintenance of relationships particularly dating and romantic relationships. People
\nwith MS can experience sexual dysfunction, fatigue, pain, reduced
\nmood and bladder/bowel dysfunction. These difficulties can affect
\na person s ability to participate in many meaningful activities,
\nincluding those that affect relationships dating, preparing meals,
\nengaging in sexual intercourse and others. Research in the area has
\nexplored the experiences of people with MS in long-term relationships or in marriage. However, an increasing number of people are
\nnot in long-term relationships in their 20 s, 30 s and beyond. It is
\nknown that dating or entering romantic relationships has been
\nshown to be difficult for those with physical disabilities who face
\nstigma, negative societal attitudes and the fear of requiring care
\nfrom potential partners. The experience of those with a progressive,
\ncomplex condition like MS has not been explored in detail to date.
\nObjectives: To develop a rich understanding of the impact of MS
\non romantic relationships and occupations related to dating. To
\nbetter understand how living with a progressive, early-onset condition such as MS, interacts with/influences developing romantic
\nrelationships.
\nMethods: This study used a descriptive phenomenological design.
\nData were collected through two online focus group. A purposive
\nsampling strategy was implemented to identify participants that
\nhave relevant knowledge or experience to address the research
\ntopic. Participants self-recruited by contacting the authors.
\nParticipants were excluded if they (i) were co-habiting with a partner or married (ii) had a comorbid diagnosis of a neurological
\ndisorder or (iii) were not able to provide informed consent. The
\nauthors used Colaizzi s (1978) descriptive phenomenological
\nmethod to analyse the data.
\nResults: Six females and two males participated in the focus
\ngroups. Participants were aged between 23-37 years and had a
\ndiagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Years since
\nMS diagnosis ranged from 4-16 years. Dating with a diagnosis of
\nMS is a highly personal phenomenon, characterised by many individual differences in values and experiences. Core to the phenomenon were the process of personal decision-making about
\ndisclosure of the diagnosis, considerations about dating and couple-focused activities that were limited by pain or fatigue and
\nongoing adaptation to the fluctuating nature of the condition with
\npartners in new/developing relationships. Planning for and engaging in dating was considered by some participants to be emotionally exhausting. Conclusions: There were a range of experiences of dating and
\nrelationships across the participants in the study. Participants discussed the most salient issues specific to dating with MS including diagnosis

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