International Journal of Women's Health (Apr 2022)
Characteristics and Outcomes of Herbal Medicine for Female Infertility: A Retrospective Analysis of Data from a Korean Medicine Clinic During 2010–2020
Abstract
Eunseop Kim,1 Hye Won Lee,2 Namhyoung Kim,1 Young Hee Park,3 Tae-Young Choi,4 Myeong Soo Lee4 1You and Green Korean Medicine Clinic, Daejeon, South Korea; 2KM Convergence Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea; 3You and Green Korean Medicine Clinic, Busan, South Korea; 4KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South KoreaCorrespondence: Myeong Soo Lee, KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, South Korea, Tel +82-42-868-9266, Fax +82-42-868-9299, Email [email protected]; [email protected] Hye Won Lee, KM Convergence Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, South Korea, Tel +82-42-868-9506, Fax +82-42-868-9299, Email [email protected]: Few studies have assessed outcomes associated with the use of traditional medicine therapies to manage infertility in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of and infertility treatment effects among patients who visited a Korean medicine (KM) clinic to aid in achieving pregnancy. This study consisted of a 10-year analysis of patient records from a KM clinic.Methods: A retrospective 10-year (2010– 2020) chart analysis was performed using the medical records of infertile patients who visited a KM clinic in South Korea for fertility treatment (ICD-10, infertility symptoms: 59 codes).Results: Of the 6194 patients who visited the clinic during the selected time frame, 1786 were female patients seeking fertility treatment to achieve pregnancy. Among the 1786 infertile women, 586 women succeeded in becoming pregnant (32.8%). Among the 586 patients who became pregnant, 476 women had received KM, 92 had been treated using KM and in vitro fertilization (IVF), and 18 had received KM and undergone intrauterine insemination (IUI). The live birth rates achieved with these treatments were 66.0%, 68.8%, and 66.7%, respectively. The most frequently prescribed medicines were Gamiboher-tang (Jiaweiwuxu-tang), Gamiguibi-tang (Jiaweiguipi-tang), and Gamidanggui-san (Jiaweidanggui-san). Additionally, the most frequent adjunct therapies administered to these patients were acupuncture and moxibustion.Conclusion: Infertility therapies using KM may be a successful option to treat infertility when used alone or in addition to IVF and IUI. However, further pharmacological investigations and clinical trials are required to ensure the objectivity of the efficacy evaluation.Keywords: herbal medicine, infertility, pregnancy, pregnancy rate, fertilization in vitro, retrospective studies
