Sex can release stress, and help relax people, thereby reducing seizure frequency. People living with epilepsy frequently encounter sexual difficulties. These can be due to the epilepsy itself, the medications used to treat the illness, or due to reactions of partners and others to the diagnosis of epilepsy. One of the commonest sexual effects of epilepsy is the decrease or loss of desire. This is variable depending on the type of epilepsy a person is dealing with.
Erectile dysfunction is also a common problem for men with epilepsy.
These is less scientific literature about the effects of epilepsy on women's sexuality, but desire changes appear similar for women. Sexual difficulties are found to be more significant in people whose epilepsy started before adolescence. While this might be due to more severe illness, another explanation is that these teenagers may have had a more difficult time with dating than their friends without seizures. Epilepsy can affect a person's self-confidence, body image, and mood, both of which are important when relating with others. Often these drugs can cause fatigue which can interfere with an evening out.