Acupuncture for women undergoing in vitro fertilization : reply

In Reply: Dr Gu and Dr Chen and colleagues expressed concerns about the generalizability of the findings of our study. Our trial results confirm findings from a 2013 systematic review of no difference in live birth rates between acupuncture and a sham control. The letters suggest that the length of the intervention was too short and did not reflect clinical practice. The study evaluated a short treatment protocol delivered during ovarian stimulation and on the day of embryo transfer. This treatment duration has been used in 20 randomized clinical trials including more than 5000 women. The treatment protocol, including components of duration and number, was informed by consensus from a Delphi process, which included an international group of experienced women's health and fertility acupuncturists and acupuncture researchers. Our research group has subsequently demonstrated this treatment number and frequency of acupuncture treatment is widely practiced when treating women undergoing IVF.