Using manuka honey for vulvovaginal infections

Author: Jessica Lloyd
Senior Vulvovaginal Specialist Naturopath | BHSc(N) | ISSVD, ISSWSH, BSSM, ATMS

Last reviewed: July 30, 2026

Manuka honey is the honey made by bees when they gather nectar from the manuka bush, also known as tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium). This plant is native to New Zealand and some parts of Australia, with abundant growth in the New Zealand bush.

Manuka honey is known to have unique properties, especially antimicrobial. Manuka honey has been used historically in New Zealand for wound healing and other ailments, with honey used across the globe by many populations.¹

Honey is used as a treatment for:

Coughs
Wounds
Stomach ailments
Sore throats, strep throat
Burns
Injuries
Immune boosting
Infection preventative
Vulvovaginal infections
Indigestion
Stomach ulcers
Abscesses
Conjunctivitis

Not all honey has healing qualities, with the plants the bees collect nectar from being of primary importance in the properties the honey holds.

Manuka honey is extremely stable, able to tolerate exposure to light, air, and heat, and able to be stored for long periods of time without losing its potency.

How does manuka honey work on microbes?

Honey is able to exert part of its healing effect via the action of glucose oxidase, an enzyme produced by bees as they collect the nectar.

As the honey is exposed to oxygen and put onto a damp surface (like a cut or wound), a chemical reaction occurs that releases hydrogen peroxide. This hydrogen peroxide acts as a disinfectant.

Honey is acidic, but has a low water content, which inhibits microorganisms – any microbes entering the honey become dehydrated and die. Most microbes can’t grow or reproduce in honey because of this dehydration.

The active antimicrobial qualities vary depending on the honey. Manuka honey from New Zealand is considered the most potent and bioactive honey in the world. German researchers identified a natural compound, methylglyoxal (MGO), which is thought to be responsible for manuka honey’s unique non-peroxide antibacterial activity.⁷

Manuka honey has up to 100 times more MGO than any other type of honey tested, including on diluted manuka honey (diluted up to 30 per cent). Manuka honey must contain at least 100mg/kg of MGO to inhibit harmful pathogens.²

Manuka honey is also effective against pathogenic biofilms.^3,4,5,6

Using manuka honey vaginally

Manuka honey has strong antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity in the laboratory and in wound care, and some practitioners use it for vulvovaginal complaints. Be clear-eyed about the evidence, though: there are no clinical trials showing that inserting manuka honey into the vagina cures BV, aerobic vaginitis or thrush, so treat it as an unproven, supportive option rather than a guaranteed treatment.^7,8 If you do use it, the highest-quality preparations (high UMF) are best.

In our own clinic we no longer use manuka honey routinely, but it has a genuinely good safety profile against bacteria and can really help some people recover when used gently and sparingly — it is essentially a bioactive sugar syrup: sugary, but also quite medicinal. We tend to reserve it for people who don’t tolerate herbs or other treatments. We would never use it in anyone prone to yeast, though, because the sugar will flare thrush.

Honey can be messy to use, since it is a sticky, thick liquid, so if using in the vagina or on the vulva, dress accordingly.

Manuka honey may be useful for treating:

Manuka honey is best applied at night, inserted deep vaginally using coconut pessaries (suppositories), a small syringe canister or vegetable capsules.

The syringe method can be difficult as the honey is so thick. If using vegetable capsules, ensure you do a quick finger check each day to remove any undissolved fragments of capsule. The pessaries require some preparation.

Making a mixture with coconut oil means you can put the pessaries into the fridge safely to harden, and then use as necessary. This trick makes the solution harden, but not freeze.

Use a pad or panty liner to protect your underwear if this is a concern. Honey is water-soluble, so will wash out of clothing in a normal laundry cycle. A vaginal pessary can be made and frozen, but the jury is not out yet on whether you can safely freeze manuka honey without losing some of its potency.

Feel free to make your own inventions here, but remember the honey should be the main ingredient.

Because of the cost of manuka honey, use judiciously with 5-10ml at a time. Increase or decrease the dose as you see fit – you want the honey to cover your vaginal walls and/or vulva, so base your dose on your symptoms. Start off low and increase if your symptoms persist.

Insert manuka honey before bed to avoid gravity causing it to leak out too soon.

For vulvar complaints, a pad or panty liner can be worn during the day with an application. Remember that heat will cause the honey to become runnier, so do a test run before going out in the world with underwear full of honey!

Using manuka honey as digestive support

Some people also take manuka honey a spoon at a time, or on a small piece of bread about 20 minutes before a meal. It is a traditional soother for sore throats and coughs, but claims that eating honey ‘boosts immunity’ or shortens tummy bugs are not well supported by evidence, so keep expectations modest.

Honey is a FODMAP, but small amounts for therapeutic use may be tolerable if sensitive.

Cautions when using manuka honey

Ordinary retail manuka honey is a raw, unsterilised food — it is not gamma-irradiated. Only medical-grade wound honey (such as Medihoney) is gamma-sterilised, to kill bacterial spores so it can be used on open wounds. Honey should never be given to a baby under 12 months, because of the risk of infant botulism, but for healthy adults eating raw honey is not a botulism risk.

Some minor stinging may occur initially due to the honey’s acidic nature, however, this should pass.

Honey is about 80 per cent sugar, and yeast (Candida) feeds on sugar. While manuka honey has antifungal activity in the lab, we do not know whether a honey bolus helps or hinders a real vaginal yeast infection, so be cautious using it for thrush. If you have diabetes or recurrent thrush, do not use honey vaginally without medical advice.⁸

Grades of manuka honey

Manuka honey has a grading system, developed by Professor Peter Molan, a New Zealand biochemist.

Professor Molan set up the unique manuka factor, or UMF, a grading standard that reflects manuka’s non-peroxide (largely MGO-driven) antibacterial activity. It is calibrated against Staphylococcus aureus.

The best manuka honey for vulvovaginal treatments are the strongest – UMF15+, UMF18+ or UMF20+.

UMF RATING	MINIMUM MGO* METHYLGLYOXAL	MINIMUM NPA** NON-PEROXIDE ACTIVITY
UMF 20+	829	20.0
UMF 18+	692	18.0
UMF 15+	550	15.6
UMF 15+	514	15.0
UMF 12+	400	12.9
UMF 12+	354	12.0
UMF 10+	263	10.0
UMF 5+	100	5.6
UMF 5+	83	5.0
–	30	2.7

* MGO is measured as mg/kg (ppm) ** NPA is measured as % solution (%w/v) of phenol/water

Research into manuka honey

Manuka honey can degrade pathogenic biofilms in the lab
Daily applications of manuka honey to three hospice patients suffering ulcers infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) reported success (2006, Palliative Medicine)
In laboratory tests, manuka honey shows activity against many microbes, including streptococci, fungi (such as those causing athlete’s foot and ringworm) and some protozoa — though this has not been proven as a treatment in people
In the lab, manuka honey is roughly twice as active as ordinary honey against Escherichia coli and S. aureus
Claims that eating manuka honey ‘boosts immunity’ or shortens diarrhoea and vomiting are popular but not well supported by evidence
Manuka honey inhibits Helicobacter pylori (a cause of stomach ulcers) in the lab, but a small human study did not manage to clear the infection
Topical manuka honey may help acne, cracked skin and sore gums; for eyes, only a sterile medical product should ever be used
Acid-producing bacteria in the mouth that degrade teeth enamel were found to have their acid-producing abilities thwarted by manuka honey in the lab, providing treatment options for gingivitis and gum disease

Why manuka honey is used for wounds

Wound care is where honey has the most human evidence, although even there a systematic review found the quality of the trials mixed.⁹

Provides an effective barrier to the outside world
Keeps wounds moist
Provides controlled delivery of hydrogen peroxide to wound
Has a rapid effect
Dressings saturated in honey do not stick to wounds
Helps reduce scarring
Stops wounds from smelling bad
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
Anti-biofilm properties

Frequently asked questions

Does manuka honey cure BV or thrush?

It has strong antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity in the lab, and some practitioners use it, but there are no clinical trials proving that inserting manuka honey cures BV, aerobic vaginitis or thrush. Treat it as an unproven, supportive option and see a practitioner if things do not settle.⁸

Can manuka honey make thrush worse?

Possibly. Honey is about 80 per cent sugar and yeast feeds on sugar, so despite manuka’s lab antifungal activity, its real effect on a vaginal yeast infection is unknown. If you have diabetes or recurrent thrush, do not use honey vaginally without medical advice.⁸

What grade of manuka honey should I use?

For any therapeutic use, higher grades (UMF 15+, 18+ or 20+, meaning high MGO) are the most active. Ordinary retail honey grades vary widely.⁷

This article is general information and not a substitute for personalised medical advice. If a vaginal infection is not settling, please see an experienced practitioner.