Most IVF ‘add-on’ treatments have no effect on fertility or remain unproven, study says
Summary
A large study reviewed common extra treatments added to IVF to boost fertility and found most have no clear benefit or lack good evidence. Some add-ons may help a little, but many only lead to extra costs and procedures without proven results.Key Facts
- Over 70% of IVF patients in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand use one or more additional treatments, called “add-ons.”
- The study checked 10 common IVF add-ons using only trustworthy clinical trials.
- Seven add-ons, including acupuncture and genetic testing of embryos, showed no clear effect on fertility or had weak evidence.
- Three add-ons, like Endometrial scratching and EmbryoGlue, showed weak evidence of possibly increasing pregnancy chances.
- About half of the initially considered clinical trials were excluded due to concerns about their trustworthiness.
- The study warns that unproven add-ons may cause false hope, extra financial strain, and more medical procedures for IVF patients.
- Private IVF clinics often offer add-ons despite the lack of strong evidence, sometimes misleading patients about their benefits.
- The research was published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health journal.
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