An interventional study of Pelvic floor therapy in Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder, Dyspareunia and Vaginismus, sponsored by Medstar Health Research Institute. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-21.
Sponsored by Medstar Health Research Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
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:
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:
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:
Participants (n=60) will be randomized into two arms:
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.
158 studies on the registry are indexed under Dyspareunia; 40 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is close to the median of 63 across 126 interventional studies indexed under Dyspareunia.
Browse Dyspareunia studies →Medstar Health Research Institute is the lead sponsor of 161 studies on the registry; 31 are open to participants now.
Of its 14 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 7 (50%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Kiwi is a therapeutic vibrating pelvic floor product that includes an option for external massage and stimulation. The V- shaped massager, is designed to bridge anatomical variety and has three main massage ends. 1. The cylindrical end is comparable in application to traditional vaginal dilators. However, one significant difference is its tapered shape; this allows for continuous and gradual diameter increase, as opposed to discrete increments in the traditional dilator sets. The tapered end has an optional vibration mode with 4 different intensity settings. This cylindrical shape can also be used as a tool to apply external pressure point massage to the muscles of the urogenital triangle, such as the perineal muscle and the bulbospongiosus muscles. 2. A wider flat surface area has an additional motor to apply vibration to the glans clitoris. This end can also be used for massage. 3. The rounded bottom end of Kiwi can be used as a broad area massage tool.
Device: Pelvic floor therapy
A commercially available set of graduated cylindrical vaginal dilators. The standard of care is a 6-piece, progressive-sizing, silicone dilator set. Dimensions of the silicone dilators are (WxH): (1) 0.7"x4.75", (2) 0.9"x5.25", (3) 1.0"x5.45", (4) 1.1"x5.85", (5) 1.3"x6.35", (6) 1.5"x6.85". These dilators are not battery powered, have no buttons, and no removable pieces.
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.
Also known as: PFPT, Pelvic floor physical therapy, pelvic floor massage
Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)
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.
Time frame: Four weeks
FSDS-DAO (Female Sexual Distress Scale- Distress/Arousal/Orgasm) Questionnaire
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.
Time frame: Four weeks
Primary Outcome Questionnaire (PEQ)
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.
Time frame: Four weeks
PGI-S- Patient Global Impression of Severity
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.
Time frame: Four weeks
Patient Global Impression Of Improvement (PGI-I)
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.
Time frame: Four weeks
VPAQ-screen Subscale: Self Stimulation/Penetration Interference (Vulvar Pain Assessment Questionnaire- Screening Form)
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.
Time frame: Four weeks
Plan to share: No — Participant data will be collected and analyzed as an aggregate for any results.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Mar 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2025, 8 months after the start.
Of 51 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Dyspareunia, half reached primary completion within 33 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 48. This study's planned 8 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 59 studies reached it within 33 months; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 38.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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