Vaginal tampon or pessary to reduce leakage during running
Official title: Does a Regular Tampon or Intravaginal Pessary Mitigate Urine Leakage While Running Among Females Who Experience Exercise-induced Urinary Incontinence?
Run by University of Ottawa · NCT07103161 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will test whether using a regular tampon or a Uresta pessary reduces urine leakage for women 18 and older who leak while running or brisk walking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Ottawa Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Ottawa, Ontario) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 13, 2022 |
| Main results expected | March 2026 |
| Study ends | March 2026 |
| Registry record updated | August 5, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07103161 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Women over 18 who experience urine leakage during running or brisk walking, can read English or French, are not currently pregnant or recently postpartum, and do not have exclusionary surgical or medical histories are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with urgency-only incontinence, prior incontinence surgery or hysterectomy, inability to tolerate tampon use, recent pregnancy within six months, or major cardiac/pulmonary/metabolic/neurologic conditions are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This single-center interventional study enrolls women aged 18 and older who experience urine leakage during running or brisk walking. Participants complete in-lab runs with no device, with a regular menstrual tampon, and with a Uresta pessary while urine leakage and transient pelvic floor morphology changes are measured before and after each bout. The study compares leakage amounts and pelvic position changes across the three conditions and collects participant-reported satisfaction and device use over the following four weeks. Investigators expect both devices to reduce running-induced leakage, with greater symptom reduction and satisfaction for the pessary.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these intravaginal devices could allow women to run with less urine leakage and help them stay active with greater confidence.
How similar studies have gone: Intravaginal pessaries and tampons are used clinically to manage activity-related leakage and have supporting evidence, but rigorous trials specifically targeting running-induced leakage are limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age \>18 years of age * Participate in any exercise or sport modality involving running or brisk walking * Experiences urine leakage during running or brisk walking * Speak and read English or French Exclusion Criteria: * No urine leakage in the first laboratory assessment (baseline / no intervention) * Currently pregnant or have been pregnant in the previous 6 months * Had or have had cardiac, pulmonary, metabolic and/or neurological conditions * History of incontinence surgery * Hysterectomy * Symptoms consistent with urgency incontinence only * Experience pain with tampon use or during gynecologic examinations
Where it's running
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University of Ottawa, Faculty of Health Sciences building, 200 Lees Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Linda McLean, PhD. — University of Ottawa
- Study coordinator: Grace Collins, BSc.
- Email: gcollins@uottawa.ca
- Phone: 613-562-5800
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
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Kinesthetic Pelvic Floor Imagery Added to Exercises for Stress Urinary Incontinence
In postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence, this study tests whether mentally rehearsing pelvic floor muscle contractions before doing the exercises helps reduce leakage.
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Expiratory Muscle Strength Training added to pelvic floor training for women with stress urinary incontinence
This study tests whether adding expiratory muscle strength training to pelvic floor exercises helps improve urinary leakage in women with stress urinary incontinence.
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This study tests a model to predict which women might develop new stress urinary incontinence after pelvic organ prolapse repair.
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At-home electrical stimulation treatment for stress urinary incontinence in women
This trial will test whether a non-implantable at-home electrical stimulation device can reduce urine leakage in women with stress urinary incontinence.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.