Does Acupuncture Help Fertility? What the Evidence Shows

Why this question comes up so often

Acupuncture is among the most commonly offered complementary therapies to people having fertility treatment. The HFEA reports that acupuncture and nutritional therapy are the two most frequently offered to patients according to what people accessing fertility treatment tell it. Clinics sometimes suggest it directly, and it is often available on site or through a partner practice.

Two distinct claims get made for it, and they need separating because the evidence for them is not the same.

Claim one: it improves your chance of a baby

The HFEA addresses the specific mechanism usually cited: some clinics may claim acupuncture can improve blood flow to the uterus, but the evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture for this purpose is unclear, and for most patients having routine IVF is effective without using any complementary therapies.

NICE's position across the category is a single sentence in NG257: complementary therapies have not been properly evaluated for fertility problems. It is not a finding that they do not work; it is a finding that the evaluation needed to say either way has not been done to guideline standard.

The HFEA adds a general instruction that applies here directly: if you are ever offered such treatments with the aim of improving your chances of having a baby, it is important to question whether there is good evidence to support that claim.

It is also worth knowing that acupuncture is not on the HFEA's rated add-ons list, and that is by design rather than by omission. The HFEA does not regulate complementary therapies, and they are not usually offered within a licensed clinic's own treatment. So there is no traffic light rating to look up, which means the absence of a red rating is not reassurance.

Claim two: it helps with the stress of treatment

This is a different proposition and it is the one the HFEA treats as reasonable. It describes complementary therapies as things that may help with relaxation or general wellbeing, and frames them as used alongside conventional treatment rather than instead of it.

But the HFEA is careful to close a door that this claim often leaves open. It states that there is no conclusive evidence that stress impacts on fertility treatment outcomes, and that when studies look at the chance of having a baby from fertility treatment, the evidence does not show that those with higher stress levels are less likely to have a baby.

That matters more than it first appears. If reducing stress improved outcomes, then a stress-reducing therapy would improve outcomes indirectly, and any relaxation intervention could be marketed as a fertility treatment. Because the link is not established, a therapy that helps you feel calmer is doing exactly that — which can be worth having on its own terms, and is not a treatment for infertility.

It also means you are not failing by finding this hard. RCOG states there is no evidence that stress causes miscarriage. Nobody should be telling you that it will happen once you relax.

Is it safe?

The HFEA describes acupuncture, when done by a qualified practitioner, as generally very safe. Rarely, people experience mild short-term effects such as drowsiness, nausea, or pain and bruising where needles puncture the skin. If you have a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia, or take anticoagulants, your practitioner should be told. It is generally safe in pregnancy, although certain points should be avoided.

The HFEA also advises checking with your clinician before starting any complementary therapy, in case it might affect your fertility treatment — particularly relevant where a practitioner also recommends herbal preparations, which can interact with prescribed medicines or be unsuitable in pregnancy.

Choosing a practitioner, if you decide to

Acupuncture is not a protected activity in the UK. The HFEA notes that it does not regulate acupuncture and practitioners are not required by law to be registered with a regulatory body. Its recommendation is to check that the practitioner is either a regulated healthcare professional — a doctor, nurse or physiotherapist practising within their professional scope — or a member of a national acupuncture organisation, naming the British Medical Acupuncture Society and the British Acupuncture Council, whose register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Practitioners usually recommend a course of treatment, typically five to eight sessions, regular at first and then spread out.

The money question

The HFEA raises cost twice on the same page, which is unusual for a regulator. Complementary therapies can be expensive, and if you are considering them it recommends shopping around. It also points out that there may be free or low-cost and simple lifestyle changes that improve your physical and mental health.

There is a version of this decision that is entirely rational: you find the sessions calming, you can afford them, and you are clear that you are buying an hour of care rather than a higher chance of a baby. There is another version where a course of acupuncture is bought instead of a further IVF cycle, on a claim that no UK body supports. The HFEA makes the equivalent point about add-ons and it applies here: if you are self-funding, consider whether the money would be better spent on another cycle of proven treatment.

What to ask before booking

• What are you claiming this will do, and what is the evidence for that specific claim?
• Are you a regulated healthcare professional, or a member of an accredited register?
• Will you be recommending herbal products, and do you know what medication I am taking?
• What is the total cost of the course you are proposing?
• Have you told my fertility clinic what you are doing, and can you?

A practitioner who answers the first question honestly — that the evidence for improving live birth is unclear, and that they are offering support rather than treatment — is one worth having. A practitioner who tells you your cycle failed because your energy was blocked is charging you for self-blame.