An interventional study of DHEA ovals and Estradiol 0.01% Vag Cream in Post-menopause, Pre-menopause and Sexual Function, sponsored by University of Arizona. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 40 Years to 90 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-21.
Sponsored by University of Arizona · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
This study is being done to compare two vaginal treatments, vaginal estrogen and vaginal DHEA, that are used to treat vaginal and urinary symptoms related to menopause. These symptoms may include vaginal dryness, discomfort, painful intercourse, or urinary problems and can affect quality of life and sexual health. Women who choose to participate will be randomly assigned to use one of the two treatments for a set period of time. Participants will complete questionnaires about their symptoms and sexual health and have simple vaginal testing at the beginning and end of the study. The goal of this research is to better understand how these treatments affect vaginal health and sexual function so healthcare providers can make informed treatment decisions and improve care for postmenopausal women.
This research study is being conducted to compare two commonly used vaginal therapies vaginal estrogen and vaginal DHEA for the treatment of vaginal and urinary symptoms that occur after menopause. Many postmenopausal women experience symptoms such as vaginal dryness, irritation, painful intercourse, decreased sexual comfort, or urinary symptoms including burning, urgency, or recurrent urinary discomfort. These symptoms, often related to decreased estrogen levels, can significantly affect daily activities, intimate relationships, and overall quality of life.
In this study, women who choose to participate will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to use either vaginal estrogen or vaginal DHEA for a defined treatment period. Randomization ensures that each participant has an equal chance of receiving either treatment, which helps researchers make fair and unbiased comparisons between the two options.
Participants will complete questionnaires at several time points throughout the study to report on their symptoms, sexual health, comfort, and overall satisfaction with treatment. At the beginning and end of the study, participants will also undergo simple vaginal assessments, which may include vaginal pH testing, collection of vaginal swabs, or other non-invasive measurements to evaluate changes in vaginal health over time.
The goal of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of how each treatment affects vaginal tissue health, sexual function, urinary symptoms, and overall well-being. By comparing these two therapies directly, the study aims to provide healthcare providers with clearer evidence about which treatment may be more effective for specific symptoms or patient needs. Ultimately, the findings may help improve clinical care and offer women more tailored, evidence-based options for managing postmenopausal vaginal and urinary symptoms.
158 studies on the registry are indexed under Dyspareunia; 40 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 324 is above the median of 63 across 126 interventional studies indexed under Dyspareunia.
Browse Dyspareunia studies →University of Arizona is the lead sponsor of 476 studies on the registry; 88 are open to participants now.
Of its 51 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 30 (59%) 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.
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
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.
Postmenopausal
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Drug: DHEA ovals
Drug: Estradiol 0.01% Vag Cream
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an inactive hormone precursor naturally produced by the body. When placed locally in the vagina, it is converted by vaginal cells into small amounts of estrogen and androgens exactly where the tissues need them. This helps restore the vaginal lining, improve moisture, and reduce pain.
Estradiol 0.01% vaginal cream is a local (vaginal) estrogen therapy used to treat symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM)-the thinning, dryness, and inflammation of vaginal and urinary tissues caused by postmenopausal estrogen decline.
Genitourinary Symptoms
To compare the change in FSFI scores from baseline visit to post-treatment visit with vaginal DHEA versus vaginal estrogen among postmenopausal women with genitourinary symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)
Recurrent urinary tract infections
To compare changes from baseline-visit to post-treatment visit in: vaginal pH and recurrent urinary tract infections before and after treatment with vaginal DHEA vs Vaginal estrogen. Data will show if vaginal pH is greater than 4.5 indicating a UTI.
Time frame: Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)
Vaginal microbiome and metabolome
To compare changes from baseline-visit to post-treatment visit in: vaginal microbiome (16S rRNA gene sequencing) and metabolome \[Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)\].
Time frame: Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)
Plan to share: No — There is not a plan to make IPD available.
Started Aug 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2031, 64 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 64 months is above 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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Studies of the drug tested here: Estradiol