New Zealand women with endometriosis report using cannabis to manage pain and reduce other medications
In a survey of 213 women with endometriosis, 81% reported cannabis made their pain "much better," and over three-quarters reduced their pharmaceutical use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among endometriosis patients using cannabis, 95.5% used it for pain relief, 81% rated their pain as "much better," and 81.4% reported reducing their pharmaceutical medications, with 59% completely stopping at least one medication.
Key Numbers
213 respondents; mean age 32; 79.8% current cannabis users; 95.5% used for pain; 81% said pain was "much better"; 81.4% reduced medications; 59% stopped at least one medication completely; 40% of stopped analgesics were opioids
How They Did This
Cross-sectional online survey of people using cannabis for health conditions in New Zealand (May-July 2019), analyzing the subset of 213 respondents with endometriosis diagnoses.
Why This Research Matters
Endometriosis affects about 10% of women worldwide, and many struggle with adequate pain management. If cannabis provides meaningful relief, it could represent a less harmful alternative to opioids and other analgesics for some patients.
The Bigger Picture
This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting cannabis may serve as a substitute for opioids and other pain medications, particularly for chronic pain conditions where existing treatments fall short.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-selected online sample, self-reported diagnoses and outcomes, no control group, cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions, respondents already using cannabis may be biased toward positive reports.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would these findings hold up in a controlled clinical trial?
- ?What specific cannabis formulations and doses are most effective for endometriosis pain?
- ?Does long-term cannabis use for endometriosis carry risks that offset the benefits of reducing opioid use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 81% of respondents said cannabis made their endometriosis pain "much better"
- Evidence Grade:
- Self-selected online survey with no control group or objective outcome measures
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021 based on a 2019 survey conducted in New Zealand, where cannabis remains largely illegal for recreational use.
- Original Title:
- Illicit Cannabis Usage as a Management Strategy in New Zealand Women with Endometriosis: An Online Survey.
- Published In:
- Journal of women's health (2002), 30(10), 1485-1492 (2021)
- Authors:
- Armour, Mike(11), Sinclair, Justin(14), Noller, Geoff, Girling, Jane, Larcombe, Maria, Al-Dabbas, Mahmoud A, Hollow, Erika, Bush, Deborah, Johnson, Neil
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02979
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can cannabis help with endometriosis pain?
In this self-reported survey, 81% of women with endometriosis said cannabis made their pain "much better." However, this was not a controlled study, so the findings should be interpreted cautiously.
Did cannabis use reduce the need for other pain medications?
Yes. Over 81% of respondents reported reducing their pharmaceutical use, 59% stopped at least one medication entirely, and opioids were the most commonly stopped class of analgesic (40%).
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02979APA
Armour, Mike; Sinclair, Justin; Noller, Geoff; Girling, Jane; Larcombe, Maria; Al-Dabbas, Mahmoud A; Hollow, Erika; Bush, Deborah; Johnson, Neil. (2021). Illicit Cannabis Usage as a Management Strategy in New Zealand Women with Endometriosis: An Online Survey.. Journal of women's health (2002), 30(10), 1485-1492. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8668
MLA
Armour, Mike, et al. "Illicit Cannabis Usage as a Management Strategy in New Zealand Women with Endometriosis: An Online Survey.." Journal of women's health (2002), 2021. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8668
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Illicit Cannabis Usage as a Management Strategy in New Zeala..." RTHC-02979. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/armour-2021-illicit-cannabis-usage-as
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.