Older Australian women use complementary fertility care: A practice audit

Australian women of reproductive age are frequent users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), consulting practitioners and self-medicating with over-thecounter and Internet-derived supplements.However, there are gaps in knowledge about the use of CAM for fertility enhancement.6–8 We undertook a retrospective audit of all new clients attending a CAM practice in Melbourne, Australia during September 2008. The practice specializes in fertility enhancement, offering an array of modalities. The audit aimed to describe new clients seeking fertility advice and to test the feasibility of recruiting research participants in this environment. Anonymous data abstracted from records included limited demographic information, reason for attending, the modality of practitioner consulted, and use of assisted reproductive technology (ART). A random sample of new clients was also invited to complete a simple anonymous survey indicating willingness to participate in research and to select their ideal recruitment method from a list of choices provided.