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NCT Number: NCT06840314

VIBRating vs Traditional Therapy for Treatment of ENTry Dyspareunia

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to determine whether the use of a novel vibrating pelvic floor therapeutic device ("Kiwi") improves sexual function in sexually active women aged 18 and older with genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder (GPPPD) more effectively than traditional vaginal dilators.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does the use of the Kiwi device lead to higher sexual function scores compared to traditional vaginal dilators 2. Does the Kiwi device improve sexual distress, pain, and overall symptom severity more effectively than traditional vaginal dilators?

Researchers will compare the Kiwi vibrating device to traditional cylindrical vaginal dilators to assess whether the Kiwi device results in greater improvements in sexual function and symptom relief.

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to use either the Kiwi device or traditional vaginal dilators. * Use the assigned device three times per week for 15 minutes per session over four weeks. * Complete surveys before and after the study, including assessments of sexual function, pain, and overall improvement.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

MedStar Health

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Ariana Davis, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Cheryl Iglesia, MD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Eun Sook Choi, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Helen Y Zhang, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Helen Y Zhang, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Kendra Green

CONTACT

[email protected]

202-997-4536

Lauren Cosgriff, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the efficacy of a novel vibrating pelvic floor therapeutic device (the "Kiwi") compared to traditional vaginal dilators in improving sexual function outcomes in sexually active women aged 18 and older with genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder (GPPPD).

The primary objective is to determine whether the Kiwi device leads to higher Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores after four weeks of use compared to traditional dilators.

Secondary objectives include assessing improvements in:

  • Sexual distress (Female Sexual Distress Scale - Desire/Arousal/Orgasm, FSDS-DAO)
  • Pelvic pain (Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire, VPAQ-screen subscale)
  • Overall symptom severity (Patient Global Impression of Severity, PGI-S)
  • Perceived improvement (Patient Global Impression of Improvement, PGI-I)

Participants (n=60) will be randomized into two arms:

  • Kiwi device group - a commercially available vibrating pelvic floor therapeutic product.
  • Traditional dilator group - a standard graduated cylindrical vaginal dilator set.

Participants will use their assigned device three times per week for 15 minutes per session over a four-week period. Data will be collected at baseline and at the end of the study using validated questionnaires.

The study hypothesizes that participants using the Kiwi device will demonstrate greater improvements in FSFI scores compared to those using traditional vaginal dilators, reflecting enhanced sexual function and reduced symptom severity.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Assigned female at birth
  • Age ≥ 18 years old
  • Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (per ICD-10 diagnosis codes: F52.5 Vaginismus not due to a substance or known physiological condition, F52.6 Dyspareunia not due to a substance or known physiological condition, N94.1 Dyspareunia, N94.2 Vaginismus, N94.81 Vulvodynia)

Exclusion criteria

  • Current or prior use of a therapeutic vaginal device used to treat GPPPD
  • Unmanaged genitourinary syndrome of menopause
  • History of pelvic radiation
  • History of genital tract malignancy
  • History of female genital mutilation
  • History of prior surgery for prolapse or incontinence, including vaginal mesh or midurethral sling mesh
  • Silicone allergy

Treatment and study plan

Pelvic floor therapy

Device

Once randomized to either the vibrating pelvic floor massage arm or the traditional vaginal dilator arm, they will receive instructions on frequency of device use and will use manufacturer's instructions for specifics of device use. We will not dictate more specific instructions on use, nor is this standard of care, as every patient is unique and will need to retain autonomy in terms of how quickly they progress in the use of the product. They will then complete a survey at 4 weeks which includes measures of sexual function and pelvic pain, as well of global impressions of improvement in their symptoms.

Other names: PFPT, Pelvic floor physical therapy, pelvic floor massage

Primary outcomes

  1. Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)

    Time frame: Four weeks

    FSFI is considered the gold standard for the measurement of sexual function in women. It's a 19-item questionnaire that uses a 5 point Likert scale ranging from 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater levels of sexual functioning on the respective item. To score the measure, the sum of each domain score is multipled by a domain factor ratio (0.6 for desire, 0.3 for arousal, 0.3 for lubrication, 0.4 for orgasm, 0.4 for satisfaction, and 0.4 for pain) in order to place all domain tools on a comparable scale. The subsequent scores are summed to derive a total FSFI score. The possible range of scores is 2-36. A score less than or equal to 26.55 reflects clinically relevant sexual dysfunction.

Secondary outcomes

  1. FSDS-DAO (Female Sexual Distress Scale- Distress/Arousal/Orgasm) Questionnaire

    Time frame: Four weeks

    The Female Sexual Distress Scale - Distress/Arousal/Orgasm (FSDS-DAO) Questionnaire is a validated patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess sexually related distress in women, with a particular focus on distress associated with arousal and orgasmic difficulties. The FSDS-DAO consists of 15 items that assess three key domains: sexually related distress, arousal difficulties, and orgasmic dysfunction. Each item is rated on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Never) to 4 (Always), with higher total scores indicating greater distress and dysfunction.

  2. Primary Outcome Questionnaire (PEQ)

    Time frame: Four weeks

    This is a seven item questionnaire in which each question queries whether the subject has in the last four weeks attempted intercourse, insertion of one or two fingers (by self or by partner), insertion of other objects (by self or by partner). There are four responses to choose from for each question: not attempted, attempted but not successful, attempted and sometimes successful, attempted and always successful.

  3. PGI-S- Patient Global Impression of Severity

    Time frame: Four weeks

    Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGI-S) is a single item questionnaire to assess a person's impression of disease severity. For purposes of this trial, it will ask participants to "Check the one number that best describes how your urinary tract condition is now" on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from (1) "normal" to (4) "severe". The PASS threshold PGI-S score is < 3.

  4. Patient Global Impression Of Improvement (PGI-I)

    Time frame: Four weeks

    The Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) is a single item questionnaire to assess an individual's impression of change in urinary symptoms. For purposes of this trial the PGI-S has been adapted by removing "taking medication" and it will ask participants to "Check the one number that best describes how your urinary tract condition is now, compared with how it was before you began this study" on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from (1) "very much better" to (7) "very much worse". The PASS threshold PGI-I score is < 3.

  5. VPAQ-screen Subscale: Self Stimulation/Penetration Interference (Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire- Screening Form)

    Time frame: Four weeks

    The Self Stimulation/Penetration Interference and Q7 (Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire- Screening Form) asks the subject "How often do the following situations/activities cause vulvar pain?" The following situations/activities are queried: using tampons, solitary masturbation, masturbation while partner is present, solitary self penetration with fingers, solitary self penetration with sex toy.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Eun Sook Choi, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

202-877-6526

Helen Y Zhang, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

202-877-6526

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Medstar Health Research Institute

Other

Registry information

Official study title

VIBRENT- VIBRating vs Traditional Therapy for Treatment of ENTry Dyspareunia

Acronym: VIBRENT

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Feb 21, 2025
Registry last updated
May 21, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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