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Sexual FunctionNCT07030608

The Effect Of Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises On Sexual Life In Women With Overactive Bladder

A study testing Exercise in people with Sexual Function and Over Active Bladder, run by Biruni University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This is a randomized controlled experimental study to determine the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise on sexual life. The study included 64 women admitted to the Erzurum City Hospital, who consented to participate. They were divided into intervention ond control groups (n=32). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
Sexual Function, Over Active Bladder
What is being tested?
Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
64 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
1 Dec 2021to 1 Mar 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 70 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Being between 18 and 70 years of age
  • Speaking Turkish
  • Being literate
  • Having a diagnosis of Overactive Bladder (OAB)
  • Currently receiving pharmacological treatment for OAB
  • Being willing to participate in the study voluntarily

Who cannot join

  • Presence of perceptual impairments or psychiatric disorders that interfere with communication
  • Diagnosis of a neurological disease
  • Presence of neuropathy due to Diabetes Mellitus
  • Pelvic organ prolapse at Stage 2 or higher
  • History of anti-incontinence surgery
  • Being pregnant

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Biruni Üniversitesi

    Istanbul, Zeytinburnu, 34051

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: The Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises on Sexual Life in Women With Overactive Bladder

This is a randomized controlled experimental study to determine the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise on sexual life.

The study included 64 women admitted to the Erzurum City Hospital, who consented to participate. They were divided into intervention ond control groups (n=32). Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise *PFME* was applied to the intervention group for 6 weeks with the Simplex Device accompanied by biofeedback in accordance with the PFME application procedure. The control group received routine care.

Read the detailed description

This is a randomized controlled experimental study . The research was carried out in the Erzurum City Hospital. This study, which was conducted to examine the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercises *PFME* on sexual life in women with overactive bladder *OAB* , was conducted with 64 women (32 women: control group, 32 women: intervention group) who applied to the Erzurum City Hospital Urology Polyclinic between December 1, 2021 and December 1, 2024.

Research Hypotheses:

H1: Overactive bladder symptoms are positively affected in women with OAB who perform pelvic floor exercises.

H2: Sexual function is positively affected in women with OAB who perform pelvic floor exercises.

H3: Depression symptoms are positively affected in women with OAB who perform pelvic floor exercises.

H4: Sexual quality of life is positively affected in women with OAB who perform pelvic floor exercises.

H5: Pelvic muscle strength increases in women with OAB who undergo pelvic floor muscle training.

H6: The contraction, relaxation, and percentage of maximum voluntary contraction *MVC* % of pelvic floor muscles improve in women with OAB who undergo pelvic floor muscle training.

Implementation:

The intervention group performed a pelvic floor muscle exercise program in addition to the pharmacological treatment routinely provided at the hospital. Pelvic floor muscle exercises-including identifying the correct muscle, contraction, and relaxation-were taught by the researcher using biofeedback via the Simplex device. The training was reinforced through the use of biofeedback techniques, including a game integrated into the Simplex software, as well as verbal cues provided by the researcher .

To ensure proper continuation of the exercises and to help participants remember them, a handbook prepared by the researcher was provided (Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Training Handbook for Women with Overactive Bladder). Participants were asked to complete the Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Practice Tracking Form after each exercise session.

Additionally, the women were contacted weekly by the researcher via telephone. They were either invited to the hospital for follow-up or visited at home for evaluation and feedback.

Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Program

Week 1:

Contract the pelvic floor muscles for 6 seconds, then relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 25 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 75 contractions per day).

Week 2:

Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 50 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day).

Week 3:

Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 75 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 225 contractions per day).

Weeks 4-24:

Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 100 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 300 contractions per day).

After Week 24:

Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 50 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day).

Alternatively (preferred option):

Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 75 times. Perform 2 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day).

Women in the control group did not receive any intervention or pelvic floor muscle exercise training.

Being tested
Exercise
Keywords
over active bladder, Pelvic Floor Muscle, sexual function

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ExerciseBehavioural

    Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Program Week 1: Contract the pelvic floor muscles for 6 seconds, then relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 25 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 75 contractions per day). Week 2: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 50 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day). Week 3: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 75 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 225 contractions per day). Weeks 4-24: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 100 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 300 contractions per day). After Week 24: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 50 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day).

Study groups in NCT07030608
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ControlNo interventionWomen in the control group did not receive any intervention or pelvic floor muscle exercise training.
InterventionExperimentalThe intervention group performed a pelvic floor muscle exercise program in addition to the pharmacological treatment routinely provided at the hospital. Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise Program Week 1: Contract the pelvic floor muscles for 6 seconds, then relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 25 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 75 contractions per day). Week 2: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 50 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day). Week 3: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 75 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 225 contractions per day). Weeks 4-24: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 100 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 300 contractions per day). After Week 24: Contract for 6 seconds, relax for 6 seconds. Repeat 50 times. Perform 3 sessions per day (total of 150 contractions per day).
Receives: Behavioral: Exercise

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Over active bladder questionnaire

    This questionnaires evaluates urination frequency, sudden feeling of urgency, nocturia, urge type incontinence symptoms. It consists of 8 questions that patients can rate the severity of their complaints as none (0); very little (1); a little (2); quite a bit (3); a lot (4); and very much (5).

    Measured: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercise program

  2. pelvic floor muscle contraction strength

    Pelvic floor muscle strength measurement by digital palpation

    Measured: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercise program

  3. pelvic floor muscle contraction strength

    Pelvic floor muscle strength measurement by Simplex device

    Measured: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercise program

  4. pelvic floor muscle relaxation strength

    Pelvic floor muscle strength measurement by Simplex device

    Measured: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercise program

  5. Female Sexual Function Index Scores ≤ 26.55

    The Female Sexual Function Index consists of 19 items that measure six domains of female sexual function:

    Desire (2 items)

    Arousal (4 items)

    Lubrication (4 items)

    Orgasm (3 items)

    Satisfaction (3 items)

    Pain (3 items; includes discomfort during or after vaginal penetration) Each item is scored on a Likert-type scale, typically ranging from 0 or 1 to 5.Total score range: 2.0 to 36.0 Cut-off score: A total FSFI score of ≤26.55 is commonly used to indicate female sexual dysfunction (FSD).

    Measured: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercises program

  6. Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

    The Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale is designed to assess the frequency and severity of symptoms associated with depression. The original CES-D contains 20 items.Each item is scored on a 4-point Likert scale:

    0 = Rarely or none of the time (<1 day)

    1. = Some or a little of the time (1-2 days)
    2. = Occasionally or a moderate amount of time (3-4 days)
    3. = Most or all of the time (5-7 days)

    Total scores range from 0 to 60.

    A score of 16 or higher is generally used as a cut-off to indicate significant levels of depressive symptoms, though this is not a diagnostic tool.

    Measured: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercise program.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted22 Jun 2025
  2. Study start1 Dec 2021
  3. Primary completion1 Dec 2024
  4. Study completion1 Mar 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
The study included 64 women admitted to the Erzurum City Hospital, who consented to participate. They were divided into intervention and controls groups (n=32). PFME (Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise) was applied to the intervention group for 6 weeks with the Simplex Device accompanied by biofeedback in accordance with the PFME application procedure. The control group received routine care.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
64 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07030608
Sponsor's protocol ID
2021/60-11
Status last verified
Jun 2025
First submitted
30 May 2025
Last updated
3 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: The investigators did not obtain permission from the participants to share their data with other researchers.

Publications

  • Yilmaz Aladag F, Kizilkaya Beji N. The effect of pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function, depressive symptoms, and pelvic floor muscle performance in women with overactive bladder: a randomized controlled. BMC Womens Health. 2026 Jul 28;26(1):565. doi: 10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5.

    PubMed 42947098

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Exercise in people with Sexual Function and Over Active Bladder, run by Biruni University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Over active bladder questionnaire (time frame: Change from beginning of the study and after 6th week of exercise program). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07030608, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Aug 2025.

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