Letters : Misunderstandings About MS

Two articles have appeared in The Times containing statements about multiple sclerosis that cause us concern.

The first, by John Boal, titled “MS Victim Fights Back With Force,” appeared on Nov. 14 in the Valley View section. Mr. Boal states, “The symptoms of the usually fatal disease are erratic.” Actually, while MS can be a catastrophic illness, it is not “usually fatal.” Studies show that the life expectancy for a person with MS is 35 years after diagnosis. The average age of diagnosis is 35.

The second article by Harry Nelson also ran on Nov. 14. The implied connection between MS and AIDS, which the article’s headline carried (“Link Found Between MS, Virus That Causes AIDS”), prompted a great many calls to our office. As Mr. Nelson stated very clearly in the body of his story, there is no indication of any connection between AIDS and MS, nor is there any evidence that MS can be transmitted by intimate contact.

A common concern among people with MS is whether their families are at risk. Medical researchers investigating the possible causes of multiple sclerosis since 1946 find nothing to support the idea that it is transmittable.

EDITH M. GRADY

Glendale

Grady is the Southern California director of fund raising and public relations for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.