Did you know that on average, women are three times more likely than men to develop relapsing forms of MS? While we don’t yet know the cause of MS, many researchers and physicians are working to clarify aspects of the disease and provide more information to women who may be affected by the condition.

In an excerpt from the cover story of our Fall 2008 edition of The Motivator, Connie Easterling, a nurse practitioner who serves as clinical coordinator of the MS Care Center, Neurological Services of Orlando, explains how MS can affect women differently. “The emotional impact of dealing with the diagnosis can be overwhelming for some women. They may take the whole rhythm of the family, along with keeping the family balance in place, more personally. When MS is diagnosed, there may be guilt due to possible impact on the family.”

However, according to Easterling, advancements in MS treatments and research provide a positive outlook for women who have been diagnosed. “We now have better treatment options for women with MS. Newly diagnosed patients using appropriate treatments can often go on to live a full life without disability, if their disease course isn’t very aggressive.” If you would like to read more about women and MS you can read the full archived cover story in The Motivator on our website.

Continue the important discussion about issues facing women with MS at MSAA’s online “Ask the Expert” on Monday, August 26, 2019. From 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EST, neurologist Annette Howard, MD will respond to questions about issues affecting women with MS on MSAA’s peer online support forum, My MSAA Community. In order to participate in the Ask the Expert event, you must have a profile on My MSAA Community – you can create a profile by visiting the Community. At the end of the event, all questions and Dr. Howard’s responses will be archived for easy reading.