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Table 4 Rating the Evidence

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

Method

Type of Outcome

Level I

Level II

Level III-1

Level III-2

Level III-3

Level IV

Acupuncture

Female Fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰32)

5 (15.6%)

12 (37.5%)

1 (3.1%)

3 (9.4%)

4 (12.5%)

7 (21.9%)

Ā 

Male Fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰9)

3 (33.3%)

1 (11.1%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (11.1%)

4 (44.4%)

Ā 

Mental Health (nā€‰=ā€‰8)

1 (12.5%)

3 (37.5%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (12.5%)

1 (12.5%)

2 (25.0%)

Ayurveda

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰9)

0 (0.0%)

3 (33.3%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

6 (66.7%)

Ā 

Male fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰8)

0 (0.0%)

2 (25.0%)

1 (12.5%)

3 (37.5%)

0 (0.0%)

2 (25.0%)

Ā 

Mental health (nā€‰=ā€‰1)

0 (0.0%)

1 (100.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰53)

12 (22.6%)

25 (47.2%)

2 (3.8%)

3 (5.7%)

3 (5.7%)

8 (15.1%)

Ā 

Male fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰17)

2 (11.8%)

6 (35.3%)

7 (41.2%)

1 (5.9%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (5.9%)

Ā 

Mental health (nā€‰=ā€‰2)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

2 (100%)

Herbal Medicine

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰6)

1 (16.7%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

2 (33.3%)

3 (50.0%)

Ā 

Male fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰10)

2 (20%)

1 (10%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (10%)

6 (60.0%)

Ā 

Mental health (nā€‰=ā€‰1)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (100%)

0 (0.0%)

Homeopathy

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰1)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (100%)

Hypnosis

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰2)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (50.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (50.0%)

Massage

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰3)

0 (0.0%)

1 (33.3%)

1 (33.3%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (33.3%)

Naturopathy

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰1)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (100%)

Osteopathy

Female fertility (nā€‰=ā€‰1)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (100%)

Relaxation

Mental health (nā€‰=ā€‰8)

0 (0.0%)

1 (12.5%)

1 (12.5%)

3 (37.5%)

0 (0.0%)

3 (37.5%)

Yoga

Mental health (nā€‰=ā€‰3)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (33.3%)

0 (0.0%)

2 (66.7%)

  1. nā€‰=ā€‰number of studies, CAM methods which had no studies (nā€‰=ā€‰0) evaluating specific fertility outcomes were removed from the table; n.b. Articles could evaluate multiple outcomes (e.g. some articles that evaluated female fertility outcomes also evaluated male fertility outcomes)