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Table 5 Evidence for Positive Outcomes

From: Evidence for the use of complementary and alternative medicines during fertility treatment: a scoping review

Method Type of Outcome Level I
Improved Outcome 		Level II
Improved Outcome 		Level III-1
Improved Outcome 		Level III-2
Improved Outcome 		Level III-3
Improved Outcome 		Level IV
Improved Outcome
Acupuncture Female Fertility 40%
(2/5) 		58%
(7/12) 		0%
(0/1) 		33.3%
(1/3) 		100%
(4/4) 		(14.3%)
1/7
  Male Fertility 66.7%
(2/3) 		100%
(1/1) 		0%
(0/1) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		100%
(4/4)
  Mental Health 100%
(1/1) 		100%
(3/3) 		--
(0/0) 		0%
(0/1) 		0%
0/1 		100%
(2/2)
Ayurveda Female Fertility --
(0/0) 		67%
(2/3) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(6/6)
  Male Fertility --
(0/0) 		100%
(2/2) 		100%
(1/1) 		66.7%
(2/3) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(2/2)
  Mental Health --
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0)
Chinese Herbal Medicine Female fertility 75%
(9/12) 		84%
(21/25) 		100%
(2/2) 		66.7%
(2/3) 		66.7%
(2/3) 		37.5%
(3/8)
  Male fertility 100%
2/2 		100%
(6/6) 		85.7%
(6/7) 		100%
(1/1) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1)
  Mental health --
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(2/2)
Herbal Medicine Female fertility 0%
(0/1) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(2/2) 		66.7%
(2/3)
  Male fertility 50%
(1/2) 		100%
(1/1) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		66.7%
(4/6)
  Mental health --
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		0%
(0/1) 		--
(0/0)
Homeopathy Female fertility --
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1)
Hypnosis Female fertility --
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1)
Massage Female
fertility 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		100%
(1/1) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1)
Naturopathy Female
fertility 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1)
Osteopathy Female fertility --
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1)
Relaxation Mental health --
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		100%
(1/1) 		100%
(3/3) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(3/3)
Yoga Mental health --
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(1/1) 		--
(0/0) 		100%
(2/2)
  1. Fractions in parenthesis represent the number of studies that improve the outcome over the total number of studies in that area. CAM methods which had no studies (n = 0) evaluating specific fertility outcomes were removed from the table
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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies

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