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Most patients with MS are diagnosed in early adulthood and live most of their lives with the disease. Various age-related changes can affect the disease course of MS over time. Sex hormones, including estradiol and testosterone, have been found to have neuroprotective effects. These hormones often decrease in patients as they approach their 50s, potentially impacting the disease course in patients with MS. This episode will feature 3 unique perspectives on the effects of sex-hormone changes and age-related hormonal changes on the MS disease course: Ms. Amy Perrin Ross, an advanced practice nurse specializing in MS; and 2 patients with MS, Mr. Dan Melfi and Ms. Kathey Carr, who will discuss how these age-related hormonal changes have affected their disease and overall quality of life.

Up to 90% of men with MS and up to 85% of women with MS will experience at least one form of sexual dysfunction, a higher prevalence than that of the general population. Whether the goal is to have biological children or a simple desire for intimacy and a healthy sex life, sexual dysfunction can take a toll on the physical and emotional aspects of a person’s quality of life. This episode will feature 3 unique perspectives on how neurologists and patients can recognize and address concerns regarding sexual dysfunction: Dr. Barbara Green, a neurologist specializing in MS, and a male and female patient with MS; Brooke and Jim, both of whom have experienced sexual dysfunction.

For pregnant women with MS, preparing for the birth of a child can be a time of excitement and anxiety. Each woman should work closely with her neurologist and other care team members to determine how best to manage her MS in the postpartum period. In addition to postpartum disease management, postpartum depression should also be assessed, because although the data are limited, it appears that new mothers with MS may have an increased risk of postpartum depression. This episode will feature 3 unique perspectives on postpartum planning for new mothers with MS: Ms. Melanie Huff, a nurse practitioner who specializes in MS; Dr. Adam Kaplin, a mental health specialist; and Lindsey, a mother with MS who has first-hand experience with the postpartum period.

In this episode, we will focus on family planning for men with multiple sclerosis, or more commonly known as MS. Engaging men with MS in discussions about family planning is an important component of MS management. Men with MS typically have different concerns about fertility and pregnancy than women with MS. Thus, optimal MS care involves the coordination between a man’s neurologist and other care team members such as reproductive endocrinologists and urologists, one of whom we will interview in this episode. Communication across a man’s care management team ensures individual questions and needs related to family planning are addressed. In this podcast episode, we will hear 3 unique perspectives regarding preconception planning for men with MS. Providing their insights will be a neurologist who specializes in treating patients with MS, a reproductive endocrinologist who has experience in treating male patients with MS, and a man with MS who has experienced fertility issues during the family-planning process.

Women are nearly 3 times more likely to develop MS than men. Because the majority of these women are diagnosed during their childbearing years, clinicians and patients are encouraged to incorporate family-planning discussions into their ongoing MS management conversations. Optimal patient care involves coordination among a woman’s neurologist, obstetrician/gynecologist, and primary care provider to ensure alignment on the woman’s individual family-planning choices and preferences. This episode will feature 3 unique perspectives on preconception planning for women with MS: Dr. Lori Travis, a neurologist who specializes in treating patients with MS; Dr. Erkan Buyuk, a reproductive endocrinologist, and Ms. Shannon Green, a pregnant woman living with MS.