NCT06187246

Avatar-based Therapy for Female Orgasmic Disorder

An Avatar-based Intervention in Second Life for Female Orgasmic Disorder: A Randomized Control Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 31 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

A randomized controlled trial was conducted for testing the efficacy of a novel avatar-based intervention (IG), that was compared with a control group (CG) for women with female orgasmic disorder (FOD). Participants were 31 women who were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control conditions. Intervention was based on the cognitive behavioral therapy approach (treatment with the most empirical evidence) and previous literature about FOD. It consisted of 12 weekly online individual sessions and aimed at improving the FOD diagnosis, sexual variables, and variables that are known to affect orgasm consecution. Control group was based on minimum therapeutic contact. Changes over time in the assessed variables were analyzed using linear mixed models, considering treatment group, measurement time point, and group-by-time interactions as fixed effects. Effect sizes were computed (Cohen's d; number needed to treat - NNT; reliable change index - RCI).

Conditions

• Female Orgasmic Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Avatar-based intervention	Intervention was aimed at improving sexual variables (sexual satisfaction, sexual function, and initiative and sexual communication), and variables that are known to affect orgasm consecution (sexual self-esteem, sex-guilt, and sexual anxiety). To achieve this objective, it focused on fostering participants' abilities to increase their levels of sexual stimulation, and the engagement in personal values, along with identifying and modifying dysfunctional thoughts about sexuality. The techniques used included psychosexual education, cognitive restructuring, virtual exposure, sexual stimulation, and engagement in personal values from the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) perspective. It was delivered via a metaverse: Second Life.
OTHER	Individual informative talks	Participants were provided with information about female orgasm (e.g., what is an orgasm, neuronal orgasm, factors that may influence consecution, sexual response), masturbatory techniques (e.g., key elements to achieve pleasure, anatomy of the female genitalia, pleasure areas) and techniques to focus attention on one's body (i.e., an important factor to pleasure). Participants received three individual sessions once a month, and had a duration of one hour.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-01-01
• Primary completion: 2023-06-01
• Completion: 2023-06-01
• First posted: 2024-01-02
• Last updated: 2024-01-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Spain