Introduction

Infertility affects approximately one in six couples of reproductive age. Many women use traditional, complementary and integrative medicine to improve their chances of conceiving. While there is evidence of the use of naturopathy by women attempting to conceive, there is no evidence of the way that naturopaths approach and manage their treatment. This study aims to describe how naturopaths manage female infertility, including their approaches, clinical decisions, knowledge sources, and safety considerations in providing naturopathic care.

Methods

Naturopaths in Australia or New Zealand, routinely treating female reproductive health concerns and practicing for at least two years were invited to complete an online survey through their professional naturopathic associations.

Results

Data from 45 respondents were included. Women seeking preconception health and fertility promotion were frequently seen by 53 % and 44 % of the naturopaths, respectively. The naturopaths’ clinical management approaches for infertility were wide-ranging and extended beyond fertility. They reported prioritising peer-reviewed journal articles in guiding clinical decisions, collaborating with health practitioners (mostly general practitioners) and reporting adverse events. Most naturopaths (95 %) utilised multiple treatment strategies, recommending dietary and lifestyle modifications and a combination of ingestible substances.

Conclusions

The naturopathic approach to management of women with infertility is holistic, considering physical, emotional, and environmental factors and promoting natural healing mechanisms. Greater knowledge of scientific methods for clinical decision-making and improved awareness of adverse event reporting would enhance naturopathic care. Additionally, evaluating the effectiveness of naturopathic treatment would improve safety, inform the profession, and clarify the role of naturopathy within a multidisciplinary approach to infertility.

中文翻译：

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自然疗法治疗不孕女性的方法：横断面调查

介绍

不孕症影响大约六分之一的育龄夫妇。许多女性使用传统、补充和综合医学来提高怀孕机会。虽然有证据表明试图怀孕的女性使用自然疗法，但没有证据表明自然疗法是如何进行和管理治疗的。本研究旨在描述自然疗法医生如何治疗女性不孕症，包括他们在提供自然疗法护理时的方法、临床决策、知识来源和安全注意事项。

方法

澳大利亚或新西兰的自然疗法医师，定期治疗女性生殖健康问题并执业至少两年，被邀请通过其专业自然疗法协会完成一项在线调查。

结果

其中包括 45 名受访者的数据。分别有 53% 和 44% 的自然疗法女性经常寻求孕前健康和生育促进。自然疗法治疗不孕症的临床治疗方法范围广泛，并超出了生育能力。他们报告说，在指导临床决策、与健康从业者（主要是全科医生）合作和报告不良事件时，优先考虑同行评审的期刊文章。大多数自然疗法者（95%）采用多种治疗策略，建议改变饮食和生活方式以及结合摄入物质。

结论

自然疗法治疗不孕女性的方法是全面的，考虑身体、情感和环境因素并促进自然愈合机制。更多地了解临床决策的科学方法和提高对不良事件报告的认识将加强自然疗法护理。此外，评估自然疗法的有效性将提高安全性，为专业人士提供信息，并阐明自然疗法在不孕不育的多学科方法中的作用。