Surgical vs. Medical Abortion on Sexual Function After Early Pregnancy Loss (SF-EPL)

June 9, 2026 updated by: Omer Tammo, MD, Harran University

Surgical Abortion for Early Pregnancy Loss is Associated With Greater Short-Term Decline in Sexual Function Compared to Medical Abortion: A Prospective Comparative Study

This study compares the medium-term effects of surgical and medical abortion on sexual function in women who have experienced early pregnancy loss (6-12 weeks gestation). A total of 86 women (45 medical abortion, 41 surgical abortion) were followed for 6 months. Sexual function was measured using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) before treatment and at 6 months after the procedure. The surgical abortion group showed a significant decline in total FSFI score at 6 months compared to baseline, with decreases observed in all six domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. The medical abortion group showed no significant change in total FSFI score. Between-group comparison at 6 months revealed significantly lower total FSFI scores in the surgical group compared to the medical group. These findings suggest that surgical abortion for early pregnancy loss is associated with a significant decline in sexual function that persists up to 6 months after the procedure, whereas medical abortion appears to have a neutral effect during the same period. Due to the non-randomized design, these findings should be considered hypothesis-generating.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This prospective, comparative cohort study was conducted at Harran University Faculty of Medicine between April 2025 and January 2026. Women aged 18-40 diagnosed with early pregnancy loss (6-12 weeks gestation) were allocated to surgical or medical abortion based on shared decision-making. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to evaluate sexual function before treatment and at 6 months follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank) with Bonferroni correction. Effect sizes (r) were calculated for all primary outcomes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
88

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Şanliurfa
      • Sanliurfa, Şanliurfa, Turkey (Türkiye), 63200
        • Harran University, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - Diagnosis of early pregnancy loss (6-12 weeks gestation)
  • Planned to undergo either surgical or medical abortion
  • Age between 18 and 40 years
  • Proficiency in speaking and reading Turkish
  • Voluntary participation and provision of written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • A known pre-existing diagnosis of sexual dysfunction (baseline FSFI total score ≤ 26.55)
  • A documented history of severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
  • History of chronic pelvic pain conditions (e.g., endometriosis, vulvodynia) or any other chronic medical condition known to significantly affect sexual function (e.g., unmanaged diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis)
  • Current use of medications that can impact sexual function (e.g., SSRIs, SNRIs, antipsychotics, antihypertensives)
  • Insufficient communication ability, defined as difficulty understanding and speaking Turkish or having cognitive/communication impairments that would prevent reliable completion of the study questionnaires

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Medical Abortion
Participants received 200 mg oral mifepristone under supervision at the clinic, followed by 800 µg misoprostol administered at home 24-48 hours later.
Drug: mifepristone and misoprostol
Participants received 200 mg oral mifepristone under supervision at the clinic, followed by 800 µg misoprostol administered at home 24-48 hours later.
Active Comparator: Surgical Abortion
Participants underwent vacuum aspiration under local or general anesthesia in an operating room.
Procedure: Vacuum Aspiration
Participants underwent vacuum aspiration under local or general anesthesia in an operating room for early pregnancy loss at 6-12 weeks gestation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-treatment) and 6 months post-abortion procedure
The FSFI is a 19-item, multidimensional self-report questionnaire assessing female sexual function over the past four weeks. It evaluates six domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. The total score is the sum of six domain scores (range 2-36). Lower scores indicate worse sexual dysfunction. A total score of ≤26.55 is the validated cutoff for female sexual dysfunction.
Baseline (pre-treatment) and 6 months post-abortion procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in FSFI - Desire Domain Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
Desire domain consists of 2 items assessing sexual desire and interest over the past 4 weeks. Domain score range: 1.2-6.0.
Baseline and 6 months
Change in FSFI - Arousal Domain Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
Arousal domain consists of 4 items assessing sexual excitement and arousal over the past 4 weeks. Domain score range: 0-6.0.
Baseline and 6 months
Change in FSFI - Orgasm Domain Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
Orgasm domain consists of 3 items assessing ability to achieve orgasm over the past 4 weeks. Domain score range: 0-6.0.
Baseline and 6 months
Change in FSFI - Lubrication Domain Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
Lubrication domain consists of 4 items assessing vaginal lubrication during sexual activity over the past 4 weeks. Domain score range: 0-6.0.
Baseline and 6 months
Change in FSFI - Pain Domain Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
Pain domain consists of 3 items assessing pain during vaginal penetration and sexual activity over the past 4 weeks. Domain score range: 0-6.0.
Baseline and 6 months
Change in FSFI - Satisfaction Domain Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
Satisfaction domain consists of 3 items assessing sexual satisfaction over the past 4 weeks. Domain score range: 0.8-6.0.
Baseline and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Harran University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: ömer tammo, Harran University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 31, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HRU-FSFI-2025-01

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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