Welcome to the Acupuncture for Fertility Network (AFN) website.
The AFN is a professional special interest group for acupuncturists dedicated to supporting those with fertility issues.
If you are thinking about seeking treatment for either natural or assisted conception then please, visit our membership list, to find a practitioner in your area.
What is the AFN?
Membership* to the AFN indicates a special interest in the use of traditional acupuncture in the treatment of fertility. AFN practitioners have done a minimum of 14 hours integrated training in gynaecology, with a specific emphasis on training to support assisted protocols.
AFN membership denotes a commitment to ongoing post graduate study in the areas of gynaecology and fertility, working to maintain an updated understanding of current treatment practices.
Acupuncture treatment can be beneficial for:
• “unexplained infertility”
• pre-conception care
• assisted conception support
• low sperm parameters: count, motility, morphology
• PCOS
• endometriosis
• ovulation issues
• menstrual cycle irregularities
• recurrent miscarriage
Any practitioner members of the bodies listed below are well qualified to treat in support of fertility issues. AFN members are practitioners who have chosen to also undertake study specific to assisted conception and had integrated training. membership list
* Members are all post graduate, and have qualified after a minimum 3-year course of study, and are practitioner members of:
• BAcC, British Acupuncture Council
• BMAS, British medical Acupuncture Society
• ATCM, Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
or an equivalent recognised body:
• Dip.Ac.UK, Cert Nanjing, BSc Hons TCM, BM Beijing TCM
If you are an acupuncturist interested in joining the AFN, please go to the 'Contact Us' page.
Press Contact
All public relations issues should be directed to Jani White, who is contactable via email, jani@naturechild.co.uk or call 0793 200 0025.
How to Join the AFN
If you are a post graduate acupuncturist interested in joining the AFN, please go to our contact us page, where you will find our membership form and details for joining.
Member Benefits
As an alliance the purpose of AFN is to help each other and the need to support each other through study and exchange, to benefit the other members with
- Advise about aspects of practice
- Exchange of articles and studies relating to fertility and gynaecology
- Able to contribute to the AFN Forum
- Exchange of material and ideas to support clients
- Contacts and connections that promote the integrated use of acupuncture
Another key purpose of AFN is to develop a recognisable profile with the public that helps to promote the use of traditional acupuncture in the support of fertility and gynaecology.
AFN has no affiliation with any particular individuals,
colleges, clinics or schools of thought of acupuncture.
Courses
Current courses, seminars and workshops in the fields of Gynaecology and fertility can be found listed here. If you find details of courses not listed here, please contact Jani White so that we may add them to this list.
The content of the original seminars - the Obstetric Curriculum and the Fertiltiy Curriculum - which form the basis of an AFN members knowledge are now available as part of the College of Traditional Acupuncture (CTA), Hatton, Warwickshire. These courses can be undertaken as part of your ongoing CPD or they can form part of an MA at the college if you wish.
For further information on these course and to book please click on this link www.naturechild.co.uk/upcoming-events or visit the CTA website at www.acupuncture-coll.ac.uk/college-event-details
Current Training Courses
Here are some of the fertility related courses available. You can get further information on each course by clicking on its weblink.
September 1st-4th 2011: Denmark - "The Fertile Fizz - The Endocrine of Conception"
http://www.naturechild.co.uk/professional-training-_75.html?p=1,75
October 8th 2011: Understanding IVF: Chinese medicine and assisted conception – Jill Glover
- College of Integrated Chinese Medicine - Reading
http://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/CPD-Events/8_Oct_2011.html
September 24/25th 2011: Obstetrics (ACT Foundation Course) – CTA
http://www.naturechild.co.uk/professional-training-_75.html?p=1,75
October 8/9th 2011: Gynaecology and Fertility - Part 1 (AFN Foundation Course) – CTA
http://www.naturechild.co.uk/professional-training-_75.html?p=1,75
November 5/6th 2011: Gynaecology and Fertility - Part 2 – CTA
http://www.naturechild.co.uk/professional-training-_75.html?p=1,75
March 22nd 2012: Tongue diagnosis in gynaecology - with Barbara Kirschbaum -
College of Integrated Chinese Medicine – Reading
http://www.acupuncturecollege.org.uk/CPD-Events/22_Mar_2012.html
For further information on the course please click on this link www.naturechild.co.uk/upcoming-events