The Effect of Flixweed-Honey Vaginal Product on Cervicitis: a Clinical Trial

Background and objectives: Cervicitis is a common and recurrent gynecologic disease which is usually resistant to treatments. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) product, flixweed- honey, on cervicitis. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted as a clinical trial before and after the intervention at the School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The married women referring to the clinic aged 17-55 years with a diagnosis of cervicitis who were not pregnant and breastfeeding, without any history of cervical polyps and pelvic surgery, and non-concurrent use of herbal or other chemical medicines were included in the study. During this research, 97 patients were treated through the vaginal use of flixweed- honey for two weeks. One week after the treatment, clinical symptoms were examined.  Results: Among 97 patients who were evaluated in this study, 72 returned for follow-up. All subjective and objective parameters including vaginal irritation, itching, discharge, bleeding and pain after coitus, tenderness, and cervical wound size and friability improved significantly in comparison to the time before taking the medication. There was no treatment; five patients (0.69%) who took the medication had vulvovaginal itching that was resolved after 3-4 days. Conclusions: Vaginal product of flixweed– honey could be used in the treatment of clinical symptoms of cervicitis regardless of the reason causing cervicitis, without causing severe or serious side effects.