Journal of Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biol
Open Access
ISSN: 2375-4508
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2375-4508
+44 1478 350008
Perspective - (2021)Volume 9, Issue 2
Infertility is described by medical professionals as the inability to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse. Infertility can affect women who are unable to stay pregnant. Infertility affects about 12% of women aged 15 to 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Source.
Both a male and female factor can play a role in 35 percent of couples with fertility issues, according to Trusted Source. In about 8% of Trusted Source of infertility cases in couples actively seeking to conceive, doctors consider male factors alone.
Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that some people use to treat a wide range of ailments. An acupuncturist uses very short, thin needles to increase blood flow in particular areas of the body.
Acupuncture supporters claim that it can help with infertility by:
Is acupuncture effective in improving fertility?
There is currently no definitive proof that acupuncture increases fertility or does not.
According to studies published in 2017 by Trusted Source, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of acupuncture to treat infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
When looking at the use of acupuncture for male fertility issues, scientists ran badly planned trials or came to no firm conclusions, according to a 2016 study by Trusted Source.
Trusted Source published a study in 2018 that compared the effects of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture on live births among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Half of the participants received actual acupuncture therapies between days 6 and 8 of follicle stimulation while undergoing IVF. Acupuncturists used non-invasive needles to treat the other half, which were put away from the trigger points.
Women who received acupuncture had live births 18.3% of the time, compared to 17.8% of the time in the placebo control group.
The researchers determined that the difference was insignificant and that acupuncture during follicle stimulation and embryo transfer has no effect on live birth rates.
The use of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for infertility is not supported by this research, which included over 800 women.
Safety
Acupuncture is healthy when practitioners use clean, proper equipment, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Trusted Source.
Acupuncture needles are listed as medical devices by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The needles must be clean, nontoxic, and labelled for single use, according to these regulations.
When considering acupuncture, look for a doctor who has received proper training and holds a license. The criteria for licensure can differ from one state to the next.
Side effects and risks
Acupuncture has few side effects and complications when performed correctly. However, there is a chance that the acupuncturist could insert a needle too deeply, causing an injury or even a punctured lung. Other dangers include:
bruising or bleeding around the needle sites
heavy bleeding if a person has a clotting disorder or uses blood thinners
infection from unsterilized needles
An individual should always choose a trained acupuncturist to reduce the risks.
Citation: Gharai S (2021) Can Acupuncture Help You Get Pregnant? J Fertil In vitro IVF Worldw Reprod Med Genet Stem Cell Biol 9:3. doi: 10.35248/2375-4508.21.9.230
Received: 03-Mar-2021 Accepted: 17-Mar-2021 Published: 24-Mar-2021 , DOI: 10.35248/2375-4508.21.9.230
Copyright: © 2021 Gharai S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.