Acupuncture and reproductive health outcomes: building evidence in an integrated care setting

We have collected a lot of data from all the patients we have seen. Recently the University of Western Sydney analysed some of this data for us and presented it at a national conference. By and large we are seeing women whose reproductive potential is no longer optimal, women who have often spent a significant period of time trying to conceive, and many have done a number of IVF cycles before deciding to try acupuncture. Despite this we are seeing a very encouraging success rate, much to the delight of our patients, many of whom were at the end of their fertility journey.

The average age of women attending our clinics is 37 and the mean number of IVF cycles these patients have completed is 3 before they see us. The average pregnancy rate (fetal heart beat present on ultrasound) in the IVF cycle during which patients also attended our clinic for acupuncture is a very encouraging 35% when much lower figures are expected for this group of patients.

The analysis also showed that patients who were treated with the acupuncture protocol we have developed for use in the weeks after embryo transfer (or ovulation) experienced significantly higher pregnancy rates than  those who didn’t have acupuncture at this time.