THE IMPACT OF SCI ON FEMALE SEXUAL
FUNCTION AND PARENTING
Marca L. Sipski, M.D. • Craig J. Alexander, Ph.D.

Until recently, little was known about nervous system control of sexual function in women with SCI. New research has revealed how level and degree of injury impact arousal and orgasm. To summarize, the findings reveal that many women with SCI whose injuries do not cause a complete injury at S2-5 are able to have orgasms. Other investigations to examine the effectiveness of methods to improve function have recently been done. For example, recent and current studies evaluate the usefulness of Viagra® in women. Because of these new findings and an increased interest in female sexual function, Drs. Sipski and Alexander developed the Female Spinal Sexual Function Classification System. This new assessment tool will be useful to clinicians and researchers in predicting female sexual function after SCI and evaluating new treatment methods.

As a psychologist, Dr. Alexander has an interest in the impact of a woman’s disability on her children and family. From women with SCI, their partners and children, he used questionnaires to obtain information about family functioning, parenting satisfaction, parenting stress, marital adjustment and children’s adjustment. While society may have the tendency to stereotype women with SCI, this study suggests that a mother’s injury does not predict difficulties in a child’s psychological adjustment, nor lead to problems in parenting, marital, and family functioning.

Investigations such as these lead to a better understanding of how SCI affects a woman’s role in society plus the more intimate aspects of sexual function. They also confirm the Miami Project’s continued goal of improving quality of life following SCI while also working toward a cure for paralysis.