Complementary and alternative medicine utilisation in NHS and private clinic settings: a United Kingdom survey of 400 infertility patients

Some evidence suggests that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has found increased utilisation among patients seeking infertility treatment, although there is little information available to quantify this phenomenon. This is important information as there is marketing for CAM directed to this group and professionals need to be aware of the treatments their patients are receiving. Patients attending for infertility diagnosis and treatment often ask the physician about CAM; this paper seeks to compare the prevalence of CAM use among infertility patients in National Health Service (NHS) and private clinics. This paper provides results of a survey of couples (n = 400) divided equally between NHS and private settings. Our data suggest a high use of CAM particularly among female private patients, although patients appear sceptical of the efficacy of such treatment which is consistent with the literature.