NCT07288047

Virtual Reality as a Method for Pain and Anxiety Control During First Trimester Procedural Abortion

Virtual Reality as an Adjunctive Agent for the Management of Pain and Anxiety During First Trimester Procedural Abortion: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 72 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Study Investigator · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether use of a virtual reality (VR) headset showing a meditative nature video will help reduce pain and anxiety during a first trimester procedural abortion. Investigators will enroll 72 patients undergoing a first trimester procedural abortion with usual care to manage pain and anxiety compared to use of a VR headset in addition to usual care to see if use of the VR headset will decrease pain and anxiety and increase satisfaction with the procedure.

Detailed description

While procedural abortions are common outpatient procedures, providing optimal pain and anxiety relief during these procedures is challenging. With rapidly developing technological advances, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising modality to help manage pain and anxiety control in the medical field, including obstetrics and gynecology. However, there are no studies evaluating the effect of VR on pain during a procedural abortion. The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to primarily evaluate whether using a VR headset to display a meditative nature video as a noninvasive, low risk technology may reduce pain and anxiety for patients undergoing a first trimester procedural abortion in an outpatient setting. Investigators will also evaluate factors influencing satisfaction with the procedure. Investigators will compare use of the VR headset with usual care, to usual care only; for a first trimester procedural abortion, usual care includes oral pain medications, local anesthetic medication in the cervix, and verbal reassurance. Participants will be asked to complete a survey before, after, and one week following the procedure to assess pain, anxiety, and overall satisfaction.

Conditions

• Abortion, First Trimester
• Pain Management
• Pain After Surgery
• Satisfaction
• Satisfaction With Care
• Anxiety After Surgery

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	VR headset	VR Headset: Meta Quest 3S Meditative nature videos provided via "Guided Meditation VR" app.
OTHER	Usual Care	Usual care for pain and anxiety management during a first trimester procedural abortion includes oral ibuprofen, intracervical block, and verbal analgesia.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-04-01
• Primary completion: 2026-09-30
• Completion: 2026-09-30
• First posted: 2025-12-17
• Last updated: 2026-04-09

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study