Comparison of the efficacy of honey gel and clotrimazole cream in the treatment of vaginal candidiasis symptoms: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Reproductive tract infection is a global health problem among women, particularly in East Asia. Accordingly, researchers are seeking drugs with fewer side effects, compared to chemical agents. In this regard, the antifungal properties of honey have been confirmed. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of vaginal honey gel and clotrimazole cream on symptoms of candidiasis in 2014–2015. METHODS: This single-blind clinical trial was conducted on 106 patients with clinical complaints and positive cultures. The study was conducted in Tabriz clinics and health centers during 2014–2015. The participants were randomly divided into clotrimazole cream and honey gel groups (n, 53 per group) and were assessed both pretreatment and post treatment (before, 4 and 8 days after treatment). The results were analyzed and compared in IBM-SPSS version 22, using McNemar’s test, Cochran’s Q test, generalized mixed model, and independent-samples t-test. The significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: At all 3 time intervals, significant reductions were observed in vaginal symptoms, compared to pretreatment due to the use of honey gel and clotrimazole cream (p<0.001). On the other hand, the culture results were similar, and there was no significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Honey was effective in the treatment of candidiasis symptoms and could be used as an alternative or adjuvant for other antifungal drugs in the treatment of vaginal candidiasis symptoms. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) with the registration code IRCT201604144317N9. FUNDING: The authors received no financial support for the research.