A new resource has been launched to help Parkinson’s patients reclaim the intimacy in their relationships and tackle the taboo surrounding sex and PD. NR Times talks to Dr Rebecca Gilbert, chief scientific officer of the American Parkinson Disease Association, to find out more. 

Parkinson's disease affects more than ten million people worldwide and the prevalence of sexual dysfunction is disproportionately high in patients. Eighty three per cent of women and 79 per cent of men with Parkinson’s Disease report difficulty with sex and intimacy, often causing partners to grow apart physically and emotionally. Symptoms like tremor, rigidity and fatigue only reinforce this growing distance. In an effort to help Parkinson’s patients reconnect with their partners, the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has partnered with Havas Health Plus to launch ParkinSex, a kit designed to help reintroduce intimacy and deepen connections for those affected by Parkinson’s. Read on to find out how the programme is challenging misconceptions about PD and a fulfilling sex life being incompatible.