Honey, Royal Jelly - Simple and Effective Therapy for Infertility

Combined Intravaginal Bee Honey and Royal Jelly Versus Intrauterine Insemination for Asthenozoospermia
Abdelmonaem J, Abdelhafiz TA, Mahmoud A, Rasheed S, Hashem, Khalaf MA
Assiut Clinic Dpt. Obstetrics and Gynecology, SV University Dpt. Dermatology and Venerology, Assiut University Hospital Dpt. Laboratory Medicine, Assiut University Hospital, Egypt

[Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in a series of abstracts from the 1st International Conference on the Medicinal Uses of Honey (From Hive to Therapy) held by Universiti Sains Malaysia in August of 2006. The abstracts have been published by the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences (Vol.14 No.1, January 2007).]

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Artificial insemination by husband (h-IUI) is a simple treatment method for infertility reasoned by asthenozoospermia.

However, the pregnancy rates are poor. Artificial insemination donor (AID) is absolutely unacceptable in our society. The purpose of this work was to evaluate another simple method for “sperm enhancement” that entailed the midcyclic intravaginal use of bee honey and royal jelly by the wives, as compared to h-IUI.

MATERIAL & METHODS: Ninety-nine women with periods of infertility of more than three years, and in whom the sole reason for the infertility was asthenozoospermia, were studied. They were randomly assigned to use either pericoital intravaginal bee honey and royal jelly on cycle days 8 to 21 (group I), or h-IUI (group II) for three cycles. 5 ml crude Egyptian New Valley honey and half gram royal jelly were applied, using a special piston-like applicator. Application was either pre- or post-coital according to the personal preference. After a washout period of 2 months, women who did not conceive, were crossed over to the
alternate protocol for another 3 cycles.

RESULTS: Five-hundred fifty three cycles were completed, 283 for group I, and 270 for group II. The pregnancy rates per cycle were 8.1 % for group I (23 pregnancies), and 2.6 % (7 pregnancies) for group II; a statistically significant difference

CONCLUSION: Combined pericoital intravaginal use of bee honey and royal jelly is a more effective, simpler, and less expensive therapy for infertility due to asthenozoospermia than h-IUI.