Clitoral Therapy Device for Alleviating Sexual Dysfunction After Female Genital Mutilation: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Hend Reda Sakr, Yahia Ali Ahmed, Reham Mohamed Kamel and 5 others
PMID 37083562WHAT IT FOUND
Adding a clitoral vacuum device to standard psychosexual education significantly improved all six domains of sexual function in women with FGM-related dysfunction compared to education alone.
The device group showed greater gains in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Key findings
01The study group receiving the clitoral therapy device plus psychosexual education showed significantly higher post-treatment scores in all six Female Sexual Function Index domains compared to the control group receiving education alone.
02Within the control group (education alone), all domains except orgasm showed significant improvement from pre- to post-treatment, while the orgasm domain did not improve significantly.
03There were no significant differences between the groups in baseline characteristics such as age, weight, height, or BMI before treatment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was relatively small (80 participants), and recruitment was challenging due to cultural stigma around discussing sexual problems. Participants reported uncertainty about how to correctly practice the psychosexual education techniques during intimate relations, which may have affected the consistency of the control group's treatment. The study only included women with Type 1 FGM (clitoridectomy), so results may not apply to women with other types of FGM. The follow-up period was short (three months), so long-term effects are unknown.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the device works without psychosexual education. The control group improved in most domains with education alone, and the study tested the device as a supplement, not a replacement.