Stener‐Victorin 1999.

Methods	Randomised controlled trial, conducted in Sweden
Participants	150 women undergoing IVF and ET were randomised to receive either electro‐acupuncture and a paracervical block or alfentanil analgesia and a paracervical block. The mean ages (range) of the study and control groups were 33.3 years (25 to 42) and 34.4 years (25 to 46). There was no difference in the two groups in terms of the cause of subfertility and the number of previous cycles.
Interventions	Acupuncture was performed at least 30 min before oocyte aspiration and PCB was placed at the start of the procedure and terminated directly after oocyte aspiration
Outcomes	VAS, level of stress, implantation and pregnancy rates
Assisted conception protocols	Protocol breakdown not provided
Notes	Study designed to assess effectiveness of acupuncture as an analgesic
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	"Each centre randomized its patients using sealed, unlabelled envelopes" ‐ no further details
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	‘sealed unlabelled envelope’
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Control group had traditional analgesia and t (Alfentanil + para cervical block) therefore blinding nor possible for clinicians or participants.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	150 women were randomized. 1 drop out.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	LBR data not reported.
Other bias	Unclear risk	"There is a possible bias in the study in that some of the women in the EA group were administered additional alfentanil during oocyte aspiration."