NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), Wellington, New Zealand.
Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2022 Aug;7(4):473-481. doi: 10.1089/can.2021.0162. Epub 2022 Jan 28.
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women worldwide, with most experiencing difficulties achieving adequate symptom control. These difficulties have been compounded by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic due to worldwide shifts in health care resource allocation. As cannabis is a relatively common form of self-management in endometriosis, this study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cannabis consumption in those with endometriosis. An anonymous, cross-sectional online international survey was developed and promoted by endometriosis advocacy/support organizations worldwide. Respondents needed to have a diagnosis of endometriosis and be aged between 18 and 55. A total of 1634 responses were received from 46 different countries. The average age of respondents was 30, with a mean diagnosis age of 25. Eight hundred forty-six respondents (51%) reported consuming cannabis in the past 3 months, with 55% of these reporting use for symptom management only. One in five respondents (20%) reported having consumed cannabis previously, the most common reason for discontinuation (65%) was access difficulties during COVID. Those who had legal access were more likely to consume cannabis than those without (<0.0001) and were more likely to disclose usage to health care professionals (<0.0001). The most common reasons for consuming cannabis during COVID was increased stress/anxiety (59%) and lack of access to normal medical care (48%). Pre-pandemic, cannabis was mostly consumed at least once a day (61%) and in inhaled forms (51.6%). Consumption increased for most people (57%) during the pandemic. During the pandemic just under a quarter (23%) of respondents changed their mode of consumption, with a reduction in inhaled forms (39.5%) and an increase in consumption of edibles (40%) or oil (25.2%). Cannabis consumption, especially for symptom relief, was relatively common among those with endometriosis, with some people starting their consumption of cannabis due to health care restrictions that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Difficulties accessing cannabis and unpleasant/unwanted side effects were the most common reasons for lack of current cannabis consumption in those who had previously consumed it. Cannabis consumption may form an important part of endometriosis management especially when access to routine medical care is restricted.
子宫内膜异位症影响全球十分之一的女性，大多数患者在实现充分症状控制方面存在困难。由于全球卫生保健资源配置发生变化，加之 COVID-19 大流行，这些困难进一步加剧。由于大麻是子宫内膜异位症患者相对常见的自我管理形式，因此本研究旨在探讨 COVID-19 大流行对患有子宫内膜异位症的患者中大麻使用的影响。一项匿名的、跨国家的国际在线调查由全球子宫内膜异位症倡导/支持组织开发和推广。受访者需要被诊断为子宫内膜异位症且年龄在 18 至 55 岁之间。从 46 个不同国家共收到 1634 份回复。受访者的平均年龄为 30 岁，平均诊断年龄为 25 岁。846 名（51%）受访者报告在过去 3 个月内使用过大麻，其中 55%的人报告仅将其用于症状管理。五分之一（20%）的受访者报告曾使用过大麻，最常见的停药原因（65%）是 COVID 期间获取困难。有合法途径获取大麻的人比没有合法途径获取大麻的人更有可能使用大麻（<0.0001），并且更有可能向医疗保健专业人员透露使用情况（<0.0001）。COVID 期间使用大麻的最常见原因是压力/焦虑增加（59%）和无法获得正常医疗护理（48%）。大流行前，大麻的使用频率大多为至少每天一次（61%），且主要以吸入形式（51.6%）使用。在大流行期间，大多数人（57%）的使用量增加。大流行期间，近四分之一（23%）的受访者改变了消费模式，减少了吸入形式（39.5%），增加了食用形式（40%）或油（25.2%）。在子宫内膜异位症患者中，大麻的使用，尤其是用于缓解症状，相对常见，有些人因 COVID-19 大流行期间出现的医疗保健限制而开始使用大麻。对于以前使用过大麻的人来说，无法获得大麻和不愉快/不想要的副作用是目前缺乏大麻消费的最常见原因。当常规医疗护理受到限制时，大麻的使用可能成为子宫内膜异位症管理的重要组成部分。
