Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravaginal PRP Therapy Versus Local Hormonal Treatments
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Participants
2.3. Interventions
2.4. Outcome
2.5. Sample Size and Randomization
2.6. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Baseline Characteristics
3.2. Primary Outcome—FSFI
3.3. Secondary Outcomes
3.4. Adverse Events and Safety Profile
3.5. Subgroup Observations and Trends
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
List of Abbreviations
PRP | Platelet-Rich Plasma |
GSM | Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause |
FSFI | Female Sexual Function Index |
VHI | Vaginal Health Index |
PGI-I | Patient Global Impression of Improvement |
CTCAE | Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events |
HRT | Hormone Replacement Therapy |
BMI | Body Mass Index |
FSH | Follicle-Stimulating Hormone |
ER | Estrogen Receptor |
TGF-β | Transforming Growth Factor Beta |
PDGF | Platelet-Derived Growth Factor |
VEGF | Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor |
SAE | Serious Adverse Event |
PRPG | Platelet-Rich Plasma Group |
HG | Hormonal Group |
SD | Standard Deviation |
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Characteristic | PRPG (n = 45) | HG (n = 45) | p Value |
---|---|---|---|
Age (years) * | 57.2 ± 4.3 | 56.8 ± 4.7 | 0.68 |
Years since menopause * | 6.1 ± 2.7 | 6.3 ± 2.5 | 0.74 |
BMI (kg/m2) * | 26.4 ± 3.1 | 25.9 ± 3.4 | 0.58 |
Married/cohabiting ** | 38 (84.44%) | 36 (80.00%) | 0.59 |
Smoking status (current) ** | 6 (13.33%) | 7 (15.55%) | 0.76 |
FSFI total score * | 18.2 ± 3.5 | 18.6 ± 3.2 | 0.61 |
VHI score * | 12.3 ± 2.8 | 12.5 ± 3.1 | 0.78 |
Prior local hormonal therapy ** | 4 (8.88%) | 5 (11.11%) | 0.72 |
Domain | PRPG | PRPG 95% CI | HG | HG 95% CI | p Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Desire | +1.4 ± 0.7 | (1.2, 1.6) | +1.3 ± 0.6 | (1.12, 1.48) | 0.468 |
Arousal | +1.8 ± 0.8 | (1.57, 2.03) | +1.6 ± 0.9 | (1.34, 1.86) | 0.268 |
Lubrication | +2.3 ± 0.9 | (2.04, 2.56) | +2.1 ± 1.0 | (1.81, 2.39) | 0.321 |
Orgasm | +1.6 ± 0.8 | (1.37, 1.83) | +1.5 ± 0.7 | (1.3, 1.7) | 0.529 |
Satisfaction | +1.7 ± 0.9 | (1.44, 1.96) | +1.6 ± 0.9 | (1.34, 1.86) | 0.599 |
Pain | −2.9 ± 1.1 | (−3.22, −2.58) | −2.7 ± 1.3 | (−3.08, −2.32) | 0.432 |
Outcome | PRPG | PRPG 95% CI | HG | HG 95%CI | p Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
VHI * | +6.2 ± 2.1 | (5.59, 6.81) | +5.6 ± 2.3 | (4.93, 6.27) | 0.199 |
PGI-I (“Very much” or “Much improved”) ** | 39 (86.66%) | (76.7%, 96.6%) | 37 (82.22%) | (71.1%, 93.4%) | 0.772 |
Patient Satisfaction (Likert scale) | |||||
Very satisfied ** | 29 (64.44%) | (50.5%, 78.4%) | 26 (57.77%) | (43.3%, 72.2%) | 0.665 |
Satisfied ** | 13 (28.88%) | (15.6%, 42.1%) | 14 (31.11%) | (17.6%, 44.6%) | 1.00 |
Neutral or dissatisfied ** | 3 (6.66%) | (−0.6%, 14.0%) | 5 (11.11%) | (1.9%, 20.3%) | 0.713 |
Adverse events, any ** | 4 (8.88%) | (0.6%, 17.2%) | 7 (15.55%) | (5.0%, 26.1%) | 0.521 |
Breast tenderness ** | 0 (0%) | - | 4 (8.88%) | (0.6%, 17.2%) | 0.116 |
Vaginal spotting ** | 0 (0%) | - | 2 (4.44%) | (−1.6%, 10.5%) | 0.494 |
Local transient discomfort ** | 3 (6.66%) | (−0.6%, 14.0%) | 0 (0%) | - | 0.241 |
Treatment discontinuation ** | 0 (0%) | - | 1 (2.22%) | (−2.1%, 6.5%) | 1.000 |
Adverse Event | PRPG | PRPG 95% CI | HG | HG 95%CI | p Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Any adverse event, n (%) | 4 (8.88%) | (0.6%, 17.2%) | 7 (15.55%) | (5.0%, 26.1%) | 0.521 |
Local transient discomfort (≤48 h) | 3 (6.66%) | (−0.6%, 14.0%) | 0 (0%) | - | 0.241 |
Mild vaginal burning (≤24 h) | 1 (2.22%) | (−2.1%, 6.5%) | 0 (0%) | - | 1.000 |
Breast tenderness | 0 (0%) | - | 4 (8.88%) | (0.6%, 17.2%) | 0.116 |
Vaginal spotting | 0 (0%) | - | 2 (4.44%) | (−1.6%, 10.5%) | 0.494 |
Treatment discontinuation | 0 (0%) | - | 1 (2.22%) | (−2.1%, 6.5%) | 1.000 |
Serious adverse events (SAE) | 0 (0%) | - | 0 (0%) | - | 1.000 |
Subgroup (n) | Outcome | PRP Group | Hormonal Group | Observed Trend |
---|---|---|---|---|
Age ≥ 60 years (n = 30) | FSFI Δ Score | +10.4 ± 3.1 | +9.2 ± 3.6 | PRP higher |
VHI Δ Score | +6.5 ± 2.0 | +5.2 ± 2.2 | PRP higher | |
Pain Domain (FSFI) | –3.0 ± 1.0 | –2.4 ± 1.3 | PRP higher | |
Years since menopause > 8 (n = 22) | VHI Progression | Continued at week 12 | Plateaued after week 6 | PRP sustained |
PGI-I “Very Improved” | 7/11 (63.6%) | 5/11 (45.5%) | PRP higher | |
BMI ≥ 30 (n = 14) | Satisfaction (Likert) | 6/7 “satisfied or very satisfied” | 4/7 | PRP higher |
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© 2025 by the authors. Published by MDPI on behalf of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Sacarin, G.; Abu-Awwad, A.; Razvan, N.; Craina, M.; Hogea, B.; Sorop, B.; Abu-Awwad, S.-A.; Diaconu, M.; Pilut, N.C.; Suba, M.-I. Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravaginal PRP Therapy Versus Local Hormonal Treatments. Medicina 2025, 61, 1140. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61071140
Sacarin G, Abu-Awwad A, Razvan N, Craina M, Hogea B, Sorop B, Abu-Awwad S-A, Diaconu M, Pilut NC, Suba M-I. Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravaginal PRP Therapy Versus Local Hormonal Treatments. Medicina. 2025; 61(7):1140. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61071140
Chicago/Turabian StyleSacarin, Geanina, Ahmed Abu-Awwad, Nitu Razvan, Marius Craina, Bogdan Hogea, Bogdan Sorop, Simona-Alina Abu-Awwad, Mircea Diaconu, Nicolae Ciprian Pilut, and Madalina-Ianca Suba. 2025. "Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravaginal PRP Therapy Versus Local Hormonal Treatments" Medicina 61, no. 7: 1140. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61071140
APA StyleSacarin, G., Abu-Awwad, A., Razvan, N., Craina, M., Hogea, B., Sorop, B., Abu-Awwad, S.-A., Diaconu, M., Pilut, N. C., & Suba, M.-I. (2025). Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravaginal PRP Therapy Versus Local Hormonal Treatments. Medicina, 61(7), 1140. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61071140