Publications
- A study found that women who use cannabis may have a lower chance of falling pregnant than those who use it
- The observational study used urine samples to track developments
- There were, however, no differences in miscarriage rates between users and non-users who had achieved pregnancy
Women who use cannabis could have more difficulty in falling pregnant than women who do not use marijuana, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health in the US.
The women who were part of the study
The study, which was published in the Human Reproduction recruited 1 228 women aged 18–40 years with a history of pregnancy loss.
Participants filled out a questionnaire asking if they had used marijuana, pot, or hashish in the past 12 months, with responses ranging from never, rarely, occasionally, sometimes, often, to daily. The women also provided urine samples for analysis when they first signed up for the study, and after six months if they did not conceive, or at the time of a positive pregnancy test if they conceived.
Cannabis users less likely to fall pregnant
Only 5% of women who fell pregnant reported to have used marijuana before conception. Of the women who became pregnant, only 1.3% used cannabis during the first eight weeks of pregnancy as identified through urine testing.
Furthermore, for each monthly cycle women who had used cannabis while trying to conceive were 41% less likely to conceive than non-users. The findings also reveal that a smaller proportion of cannabis users fell pregnant compared to non-users.
Researchers noted that they found no differences in miscarriage rates between users and non-users who had achieved pregnancy. They also observed that compared to non-users, cannabis users also had differences in reproductive hormones involved in ovulation. These differences could potentially have influenced their likelihood of conception.
READ | New study reveals extent of psychological distress resulting from Covid-19 pandemic
READ | Does baby shampoo help to treat Covid-19? No science backs this up, experts say
Image credit: Getty Images
