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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

Ā 

Male Fertility

66.7%

(2/3)

100%

(1/1)

0%

(0/1)

--

(0/0)

100%

(1/1)

100%

(4/4)

Ā 

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)

Ā 

Male Fertility

--

(0/0)

100%

(2/2)

100%

(1/1)

66.7%

(2/3)

--

(0/0)

100%

(2/2)

Ā 

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)

Ā 

Male fertility

100%

2/2

100%

(6/6)

85.7%

(6/7)

100%

(1/1)

--

(0/0)

100%

(1/1)

Ā 

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)

Ā 

Male fertility

50%

(1/2)

100%

(1/1)

--

(0/0)

--

(0/0)

100%

(1/1)

66.7%

(4/6)

Ā 

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 (nā€‰=ā€‰0) evaluating specific fertility outcomes were removed from the table