Vaginal health and quality of sexual life of postmenopausal women on hyaluronic acid and Biosaccharide Gum-1 vaginal gel

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of daily vaginal gel containing hyaluronic acid (HA) and Biosaccharide Gum-1 (BG-1) on vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) and on sexual function and quality of life (QoL). Methods: One hundred-four postmenopausal women with VVA were enrolled in the nonrandomized comparison cohort study. Of them, 50 women on HA/BG-1 participated in the study group and 54 women on lubricants/moisturizers on-demand as a control group. The primary endpoint was the efficacy of the vaginal gel on VVA evaluated by the Vaginal Health Index (VHI) score. Secondary endpoints included sexual behavior by the self-administered female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire and quality of life (QoL) by the Short Form-36 questionnaire (SF-36). Results: All symptoms of AVV improved after 12 weeks of treatment in women on HA/BG-1. The VMI, although improved at the 12-week follow-up compared to baseline, indicated a low estrogenic stimulation value. Sexual function improved significantly in women on HA/BG-1. Moreover, women reported a significant improvement in the somatic aspects of QoL. No benefits were obtained by the women in the study group. Conclusions: Treatment with HA/BG-1 could be used in postmenopausal women who complain of vaginal dryness. The amelioration of VVA-related signs could improve sexual function and QoL.