Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris) has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine systems for a variety of ailments, including infections. In some traditional European and Asian herbal texts, Self-Heal is listed as an herb used to treat symptoms of sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea, likely due to its general antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, these uses are based on empirical tradition rather than on rigorous scientific evaluation. The plant was often prepared as a tea, tincture, or topical wash to address urogenital symptoms, with the belief that its "cooling" and "detoxifying" qualities could help reduce infection or inflammation.

Despite this traditional usage, there is very limited scientific research directly evaluating Self-Heal’s efficacy against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that causes gonorrhea. Some in vitro studies have demonstrated mild antibacterial activity of Self-Heal extracts against various pathogens, but none have specifically confirmed clinical efficacy against gonorrhea. Therefore, while Self-Heal has a basis in traditional medicine for this use, there is little to no scientific validation, and it should not be considered a substitute for established antibiotic therapies.