A third of people with multiple sclerosis have hidden their condition

Over a third of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have hidden their condition from others, a new survey has found.

Out of the 800 people with MS asked, one in 10 people admitted they had kept it from a partner.

Out of the people who had hidden their condition, 33% had kept it from at least one person in their family. More than half (59%) had not shared their diagnosis with their colleagues.

Reasons people gave for keeping their MS secret included worrying people would feel sorry for them, fears about discrimination, that their condition may impact their career, or that talking about MS made them feel nervous and they didn’t know how to explain it properly.