Efficacy of Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Vaginal Gel Preparations on the Female Sexual Satisfaction Index in Postmenopausal Women with Sexual Dysfunction Syndrome: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

Authors

Ahmed Soliman, Faculty of Medicine, Research Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt; AND Mansoura Research Team (MRT), Research Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Hanaa Alrashidi, Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Mohamed A. Mohamed, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
Reem Ghorab, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
Nihal Al Riyami, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
Ahmed S. A. Ashour, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, BahrainFollow
Yasmine A. Mohammed, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
Ahmed H. Saad, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of vaginal gel preparations versus placebo in postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction syndrome. Searches of electronic databases from inception to January 2023 identified 8 trials (N = 672) that reported the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and compared hormonal (oestrogen, oxytocin) and/or non-hormonal (chamomile, fennel) interventions against placebo. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess studies' quality. The vaginal gel group had a significantly higher total FSFI endpoint score (mean difference [MD] = 6.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.79--9.55; P < 0.001) than placebo. Non-hormonal gels exhibited a greater FSFI total score (MD = 6.73, 95% CI: 4.7--8.76; P < 0.001) than hormonal gels (MD = 2.75, 95% CI: 1.87--3.64; P < 0.001), positively impacting all FSFI domains. These findings indicate that chamomile and fennel vaginal gels may improve the overall FSFI 6 domains score, reflecting enhancements in postmenopausal women's sexual activity and satisfaction.

Publication Date

3-20-2025

First Page

17

Last Page

29

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Soliman, Ahmed; Alrashidi, Hanaa; Mohamed, Mohamed A.; Ghorab, Reem; Riyami, Nihal Al; Ashour, Ahmed S. A.; Mohammed, Yasmine A.; and Saad, Ahmed H. (2025) "Efficacy of Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Vaginal Gel Preparations on the Female Sexual Satisfaction Index in Postmenopausal Women with Sexual Dysfunction Syndrome: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal: Vol. 25: 17-29.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.6.2024.040