VEDA Study (DHEA vs Estradiol)

May 3, 2026 updated by: Shaida Molloy, University of Arizona

The Use of Vaginal Estrogen vs DHEA in Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women

This study is being done to compare two vaginal treatments, vaginal estrogen and vaginal DHEA, that are used to treat vaginal and urinary symptoms related to menopause. These symptoms may include vaginal dryness, discomfort, painful intercourse, or urinary problems and can affect quality of life and sexual health. Women who choose to participate will be randomly assigned to use one of the two treatments for a set period of time. Participants will complete questionnaires about their symptoms and sexual health and have simple vaginal testing at the beginning and end of the study. The goal of this research is to better understand how these treatments affect vaginal health and sexual function so healthcare providers can make informed treatment decisions and improve care for postmenopausal women.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This research study is being conducted to compare two commonly used vaginal therapies vaginal estrogen and vaginal DHEA for the treatment of vaginal and urinary symptoms that occur after menopause. Many postmenopausal women experience symptoms such as vaginal dryness, irritation, painful intercourse, decreased sexual comfort, or urinary symptoms including burning, urgency, or recurrent urinary discomfort. These symptoms, often related to decreased estrogen levels, can significantly affect daily activities, intimate relationships, and overall quality of life.

In this study, women who choose to participate will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to use either vaginal estrogen or vaginal DHEA for a defined treatment period. Randomization ensures that each participant has an equal chance of receiving either treatment, which helps researchers make fair and unbiased comparisons between the two options.

Participants will complete questionnaires at several time points throughout the study to report on their symptoms, sexual health, comfort, and overall satisfaction with treatment. At the beginning and end of the study, participants will also undergo simple vaginal assessments, which may include vaginal pH testing, collection of vaginal swabs, or other non-invasive measurements to evaluate changes in vaginal health over time.

The goal of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of how each treatment affects vaginal tissue health, sexual function, urinary symptoms, and overall well-being. By comparing these two therapies directly, the study aims to provide healthcare providers with clearer evidence about which treatment may be more effective for specific symptoms or patient needs. Ultimately, the findings may help improve clinical care and offer women more tailored, evidence-based options for managing postmenopausal vaginal and urinary symptoms.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

324

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

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:

  • Peri- or post-menopausal status
  • Presence of any genitourinary or vaginal symptom (e.g., dryness, itching, discomfort, dyspareunia)
  • Willingness and ability to use vaginal therapy
  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • English speaker
  • Ages 40-90

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Use of systemic hormone therapy within the last 6 months
  • Gynecologic malignancy
  • Known allergy to study medications
  • Active vaginal infection at enrollment
  • Prior pelvic radiation

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: DHEA suppository
Drug: DHEA ovals
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an inactive hormone precursor naturally produced by the body. When placed locally in the vagina, it is converted by vaginal cells into small amounts of estrogen and androgens exactly where the tissues need them. This helps restore the vaginal lining, improve moisture, and reduce pain.
Active Comparator: Estradiol 0.01% vaginal cream
Drug: Estradiol 0.01% Vag Cream
Estradiol 0.01% vaginal cream is a local (vaginal) estrogen therapy used to treat symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM)-the thinning, dryness, and inflammation of vaginal and urinary tissues caused by postmenopausal estrogen decline.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Genitourinary Symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)
To compare the change in FSFI scores from baseline visit to post-treatment visit with vaginal DHEA versus vaginal estrogen among postmenopausal women with genitourinary symptoms.
Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Recurrent urinary tract infections
Time Frame: Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)
To compare changes from baseline-visit to post-treatment visit in: vaginal pH and recurrent urinary tract infections before and after treatment with vaginal DHEA vs Vaginal estrogen. Data will show if vaginal pH is greater than 4.5 indicating a UTI.
Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Vaginal microbiome and metabolome
Time Frame: Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)
To compare changes from baseline-visit to post-treatment visit in: vaginal microbiome (16S rRNA gene sequencing) and metabolome [Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)].
Baseline/post treatment (6 month follow up)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Arizona

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Molloy Shaida, University of Arizona

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2031

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STUDY00007779

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There is not a plan to make IPD available.

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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