Homeopathic Treatment of Infertility: A Medical and Bioethical Perspective

Abstract

Homoeopathy has a significant clinical history, tracing its roots back to the ancient physician Hippocrates. In the last 30 years, it has surged in popularity among those seeking alternative forms of medical treatment. Countering this increase in popularity, some recent meta-analyses have suggested that the therapeutic claims of homeopathy lack scientific justification. A popular area of homeopathic application is infertility. In this paper we review the homeopathic approach and the bioethical implications to infertility, and propose that monitoring the effects of homeopathic remedies on infertile women may be as effective method to assess the efficacy of this form of alternative medicine.