Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Female Infertility: An Integrative Review

Introduction: Female infertility, defined as not becoming pregnant after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse, is a global health problem (National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS], 2021). Most women with infertility will seek treatment, but pharmacological therapy is often timely and expensive. The purpose of this integrative review is to study the efficacy of existing non-pharmacological treatments for infertility and determine what additional research is needed. Methods: This integrative review follows the framework created by Whittemore and Knafl (2005). A database search was conducted using PubMed and CINAHL. The authors applied inclusion and exclusion criteria including selected outcomes, articles written within the past five years, and the exclusion of articles focusing on pharmacological treatment. The quality appraisal and data extraction of the articles were conducted by the first author and independently verified by the second author. Results: Twenty-six articles were included in this review. The following non-pharmacological interventions exist for female infertility: acupuncture, diet, physical activity, Chinese herbal medicine, weight loss, supplements, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Korean medicine. Most of the studies found that the interventions were effective at increasing positive fertility outcomes. The majority of the studies recommended randomized-controlled trials to test the mechanism, safety, and efficacy of the intervention. Conclusion: This review has various implications for nursing research, practice, and education. It will help expand the availability of infertility treatment to all and place the individual at the center of her treatment. Keywords: female infertility, non-pharmacological, complementary and alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine