Women are affected at a rate of two to three times that of men, though no one knows why. Some researchers have pointed to female hormones. But many experts believe this is too simplistic, especially since the disorder doesn't die down when women reach menopause and experience lower estrogen levels. It's possible that this gender gap in susceptibility to autoimmune disorders may be related to the differences in the female immune system that allow women to carry a pregnancy, some scientists say. A woman's immune system has to be able to accommodate the growing fetus, which is genetically dissimilar to her because half its chromosomes come from the father, Beer explains.
Pregnancy often results in a reduction of symptoms, according to the Chicago physician.
This leads to an improvement in autoimmune symptoms, according to Beer. Unfortunately, while pregnancy appears to protect women against disease flare-ups, there is some evidence to suggests that women with MS may be predisposed to attacks during the six months following delivery, according to the New York expert. But it doesn't have a great impact on the overall course of the disease. Still Miller says, women with MS contemplating pregnancy must realistically assess the severity of their disease. Ultimately, scientists may come up with a solution to MS long before anyone completely understands what triggers the condition.