Oregon Health and Science University
Studying the Problem of Postmenopausal Pain with Sex-Treating Where it Hurts
The Program in Vulvar Health at Oregon Health & Science University is studying the very common problem of pain with sex after menopause by using estrogen cream applied in a new location and with a new longer regimen. Participants will be assigned to one of two strengths of estrogen cream to see if the usual dose or a half strength dose corrects the pain condition when used nightly for three months just where the pain is. They will measure the safety of this novel treatment for women by measuring whether the estrogen in the cream is absorbed to spread around the body or acts just locally.
By offering a group of the participants incentive payments to have small biopsies, they will analyze whether the pain condition is due to too many pain nerves in the entryway to the vagina rather than atrophy deeper inside and whether these pain nerves recede with local estrogen therapy.