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Tests wet-cupping in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Tests wet-cupping therapy against no cupping in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Key facts

Who runs it
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
Where
Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Effects of Wet-Cupping on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients
Status
Not yet recruiting
People taking part
60 people, planned
Started
1 Jan 2026
Expected to end
31 Dec 2026
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Wet-cupping
Record updated
11 September 2025

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for women aged 20 to 40 with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It tests whether wet cupping (Hijama) helps their periods and metabolism.

Age
20 to 40 years
Sex
Women only
Disease stage
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria.
Earlier treatment
Cannot have used hormonal medicine for periods, herbal period remedies or Metformin in the last month. Cannot have had dry cupping, wet cupping or acupuncture in the past 6 months.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Uncontrolled thyroid problem or diabetes
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Known blood clotting disorder
  • Anemia with hemoglobin below 10 g/dL
  • Other causes of high male hormones, such as Cushing's syndrome or primary ovarian insufficiency

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 21 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Female participants
  • Aged 20 to 40 years
  • Diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) according to the Rotterdam criteria
  • Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent
  • Not using any of the following in the last month: (Hormonal medications for menstruation, Herbal menstrual remedies or Metformin)

Who cannot take part

  • Use of anabolic or androgenic drugs
  • Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus
  • Known coagulation disorders
  • History of undergoing dry cupping, wet cupping, or acupuncture in the past 6 months
  • History of surgical removal of both ovaries or the uterus
  • Cushing's syndrome
  • Hypothalamic or pituitary disorders causing amenorrhea
  • Primary ovarian insufficiency
  • Hyperprolactinemia with serum levels above 1000 mIU/L
  • Anemia with hemoglobin levels less than 10 g/dL
  • Known diagnosis of uncontrolled thyroid dysfunction
  • Elevated FSH levels above 20 mIU/mL
  • Pregnant or lactating women
  • Other causes of hyperandrogenism, including:
  • Late-onset non-classic 21-hydroxylase deficiency (excluded clinically; lab investigation if clinically indicated)
  • Ovarian androgen-secreting tumors

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 20 and 40 years old?

Where in Saudi Arabia

  • King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University HospitalRiyadh, Saudi ArabiaContact: Nouran AleyeidiNot yet recruiting

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether wet cupping therapy (Hijama) can improve reproductive and metabolic outcomes in women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This study will be conducted among female participants aged 20-40 years who have been diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria.

Read full original descriptionShow less

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Can wet cupping therapy regulate menstrual cycles in women with PCOS?

Can it increase the pregnancy rate in married participants with PCOS-related infertility?

Researchers will compare outcomes between a wet cupping group and a control group to determine whether Hijama has significant effects on reproductive, hormonal, and metabolic markers.

Participants will:

Undergo screening and eligibility evaluation using a checklist

Be randomized into either the wet cupping (intervention) or control group

Receive lifestyle counseling (diet and physical activity)

For the intervention group:

Receive one Hijama session performed by a certified practitioner

Undergo follow-up at 4 and 12 weeks for clinical, hormonal, and ultrasound assessments

For all participants:

Complete laboratory tests, ultrasound scans, and questionnaires on PCOS symptoms and quality of life

Report any side effects during and after the study period

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Hijama GroupTreatment being tested

    Treatment: Wet-cupping

  • Control GroupNo study treatment, for comparison

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Effects of Wet-Cupping on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Plain-language title
Tests wet-cupping in women with polycystic ovary syndromeGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Fit questions
Built from NCT07169292, who can take part
Record updated
11 September 2025