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POSH-Ex: Physiotherapist-Led Telerehabilitation Exercise Programme for Postpartum Sexual Health

NCT07747285 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 84

Last updated 2026-08-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Postpartum women frequently experience impairments in sexual function, pelvic floor dysfunction, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, all of which may adversely affect their quality of life during the postpartum period. Although pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as part of postpartum rehabilitation, evidence regarding comprehensive physiotherapist-led exercise programmes specifically targeting postpartum sexual health remains limited. Furthermore, no standardized telerehabilitation programme has yet been evaluated using a randomized controlled trial design.

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the POSH-Ex (Postpartum Sexual Health Exercise) programme, a standardized 12-week physiotherapist-led telerehabilitation intervention designed to improve female sexual function and overall postpartum health after childbirth. Secondary objectives are to evaluate its effects on pelvic floor muscle strength, physical activity, fatigue, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, and body composition.

A total of 84 postpartum women will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the control group. Participants in the intervention group will complete supervised online exercise sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks, while participants in the control group will receive usual postpartum care. Outcome assessments will be performed at baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

The primary outcome is female sexual function assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Secondary outcomes include pelvic floor muscle strength, physical activity, fatigue, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, and body composition. The findings are expected to provide high-quality evidence regarding the effectiveness of a standardized telerehabilitation programme for postpartum rehabilitation and may contribute to the development of evidence-based postpartum rehabilitation programmes and future clinical practice guidelines.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

POSH-Ex (Postpartum Sexual Health Exercise)

POSH-Ex is a standardized physiotherapist-led telerehabilitation programme designed to improve female sexual function and overall postpartum health. The intervention integrates pelvic floor muscle training, breathing control, deep core activation, functional strengthening, balance training, mobility exercises, and progressive whole-body exercises delivered through live online sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Medical Centre Ljubljana

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
45 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-09-01
Primary Completion
2027-08-31
Completion
2027-09-30

Countries

  • Croatia

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07747285 on ClinicalTrials.gov