A lot of myths and fears exist around alternative medicine and Chinese acupuncture is no exception. Ever since this ancient method of healing has come to the knowledge of the western countries it has been subjected to various studies. Several surveys have also been conducted to validate its claims. According to one such survey published in the British Medical Journal, the risk of any adverse effect of acupuncture in negligible. The survey has found out that only 1 out of 10,000 treatments undergone with acupuncture may carry any tangible risk.
Acupuncture is completely safe if conducted by fully qualified and experienced acupuncturists. You should also be careful about the equipment used like the needles. Using sterilized needles decreases any risk of infection.