Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain and Anxiety During Pap Smear Testing

March 9, 2026 updated by: Eastern Mediterranean University

The Effect of Virtual Reality Transition on Pain and Anxiety Experienced During Pap Smear Testing

This randomized controlled pretest-posttest experimental study aims to evaluate the effect of virtual reality (VR) on pain and anxiety levels experienced during Pap smear sampling. Although cervical cancer is largely preventable through regular screening, many women avoid Pap smear testing due to anxiety, fear of pain, and discomfort during gynecological examinations. Innovative, non-invasive interventions are needed to improve women's screening experiences and participation rates.

The study will be conducted in a gynecology outpatient clinic with 60 women aged 18-65 years who meet the inclusion criteria and provide informed consent. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (VR headset during the procedure) or the control group (standard care). Women in the intervention group will watch a 360° relaxing nature video during the Pap smear procedure. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The findings may support integrating VR into clinical practice to enhance patient comfort during screening procedures.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study was planned as a randomized controlled, pretest-posttest true experimental design to evaluate the effect of a virtual reality (VR) application on pain and anxiety levels experienced by women during Pap smear sampling. Although cervical cancer is preventable, it remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. Despite the availability of regular screening programs, many women are reluctant to undergo Pap smear testing due to factors such as pain, anxiety, and concerns about privacy during gynecological examinations. Therefore, there is a need for innovative and non-invasive methods to reduce negative experiences during the procedure.

The study will be conducted at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Clinic of Gazimağusa Yaşam Hospital. The sample will consist of 60 women aged 18-65 years who meet the inclusion criteria and voluntarily agree to participate. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (VR headset applied) or the control group (standard care) using a simple randomization method.

Women in the intervention group will watch a 360° relaxing nature video through a virtual reality headset during the Pap smear procedure. The control group will receive the standard clinical procedure. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Anxiety levels will be assessed before and after the procedure, and pain levels will be evaluated after the procedure.

The findings are expected to demonstrate the effectiveness of virtual reality in reducing pain and anxiety during Pap smear procedures and to contribute to evidence-based practices aimed at increasing women's participation in cervical cancer screening programs.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

Phase

  • 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 Contact

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Buse Güney

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Women aged 18-65 years
  • Scheduled for a Pap smear procedure
  • Able to communicate in Turkish
  • Able to understand and complete the study questionnaires
  • Willing to provide written informed consent
  • No visual or hearing impairment preventing the use of a VR headset

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of severe motion sickness or vertigo
  • Diagnosed psychiatric disorder affecting anxiety assessment
  • Use of anxiolytic or sedative medication within 24 hours prior to the procedure
  • Presence of acute pelvic pain or active vaginal infection
  • Previous participation in this study
  • Any condition preventing safe use of a VR headset

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Reality Group
Participants will watch a 360° relaxing nature video through a VR headset during the Pap smear procedure.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality
Participants will watch a 360° relaxing nature video through a VR headset during the Pap smear procedure.
No Intervention: Control Group
Routin nursing care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain level during Pap smear procedure
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of the Pap smear procedure (within 5 minutes post-procedure).
Pain intensity experienced during the Pap smear procedure will be measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The VAS is a 10-cm scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Immediately after completion of the Pap smear procedure (within 5 minutes post-procedure).
State anxiety level
Time Frame: Immediately before the procedure and immediately after the procedure.
Anxiety level will be assessed using the State Anxiety Inventory before and after the Pap smear procedure. Higher scores indicate higher anxiety levels.
Immediately before the procedure and immediately after the procedure.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Eastern Mediterranean 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 (Estimated)

March 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 10, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 9, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ETK-00-2025-0190

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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