Acupuncture in Reproductive Medicine

Emily Wing Sze So, Ernest Hung Yu Ng
Women's health (London, England) · 2010 · vol. 6(4) , pp. 551–563 · doi:10.2217/whe.10.39 · PMID:20597619 · W2125364275
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This review summarizes evidence for acupuncture's use in various reproductive medicine applications but notes methodological limitations in existing studies, hindering firm conclusions.

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Abstract

Acupuncture is increasingly being used in reproductive medicine. This review summarizes the evidence of acupuncture in pain relief for oocyte retrieval, improving pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization treatment, management of ovulation disorders, male subfertility, primary dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and menopausal symptoms. However, most of the studies are nonrandomized uncontrolled trials, case reports or case series. For randomized controlled trials, the sample size is underpowered and blinding of assessors is lacking. Different acupuncture protocols and controls are used. These heterogeneities make it difficult to compare studies and draw any firm conclusions. Further studies should also evaluate the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture and investigate the underlying mechanism of acupuncture treatment.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004412mesh:D004715endometriosisdysmenorrhea

MeSH descriptors

Acupuncture Therapy Genital Diseases, Female Genital Diseases, Male Infertility, Female Infertility, Male Pain Management Dysmenorrhea Dysmenorrhea Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Genital Diseases, Female Genital Diseases, Male Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Male Male Pregnancy Reproductive Medicine Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological

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References (94)

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