A crucial stage of the menstrual cycle, ovulation is essential to the reproductive health of anyone with ovaries, particularly those who wish to become pregnant.
You might be wondering whether using cannabis affects when (or if) you ovulate if you’re tracking your ovulation and want to know more about what might help or hinder your overall fertility.
According to the latest research, cannabis use causes ovulation to occur less frequently, cycles to be delayed, or even to temporarily stop. Before using marijuana for medical purposes, it is always advisable to speak with an MMJ physician. The physician will assess your condition, recommend a dosage that is safe for your body, and issue you a medical card online, which will allow you to legally obtain medical marijuana in your state and protect you from legal ramifications.
Continue reading to find out more about the current, if scant, research on marijuana’s effects on female fertility and ovulation.
How Marijuana Use Affects Ovulation
Hormones appear to be a major factor in the effects of marijuana on ovulation.
According to a 2021 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, women who used cannabis in the weeks prior to becoming pregnant had a 40% lower chance of becoming pregnant within a month than those who did not.
Researchers found that cannabis users had higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), the hormone that triggers ovulation, after examining blood samples from the participants.
Although this might seem advantageous (having more LH means you have more chances to ovulate, right?) it actually has the opposite effect. Participants in the study had a higher LH ratio than follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as a result of this increase in LH. The hormone that stimulates your ovaries to produce eggs is called FSH.
Your ovulation phase may be postponed or skipped entirely if your body cannot produce a mature egg that is ready for sperm fertilization due to a high LH to FSH ratio.
About 200 women who smoked cannabis at least once a day during the previous three months experienced ovulation delays of up to 3.5 days, according to another 2019 study. Once more, the study concluded that THC’s impact on the reproductive hormones involved in the ovulation cycle was the cause of this delay.
These results call for more research into the possible evidence of THC’s capacity to alter reproductive hormone levels, despite the fact that existing research is inconclusive and incomplete.
Does the Method of Ingestion Matter?
The effects of different consumption methods (edibles, topicals, etc.) on the female ovulation cycle have not yet been studied. The main factor influencing cannabis’s effect on ovulation is the amount of THC in the body, regardless of how it was consumed.
Couples with male partners who smoke marijuana more than once a week are more likely to miscarry than couples with male partners who do not smoke, according to a study that examined the smoking habits of soon-to-be fathers. However, the way cannabis affects male reproductive hormones may be more important than the mode of ingestion.
Additional Ways Cannabis Can Impact Female Fertility
In addition to its effects on the ovulation cycle, marijuana use may have adverse effects on in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments. According to one study, ex-marijuana users had 28% fewer successfully fertilized eggs and 25% fewer egg retrieval successes. There is some worry that marijuana may be harmful to the growing fetus and child because THC can also cross the placenta during pregnancy and is present in breast milk.
The majority of doctors advise against using cannabis while trying to conceive in favor of alternative pain or relaxation techniques like warm baths or light exercise, though much more research is required.
Ending Words
It’s crucial to remember that the scant research on marijuana and ovulation is non-randomized and small. The effects of cannabis use on ovulation and fertility require further study, and patients should exercise caution when interpreting the results that are currently available. If you have any concerns, it’s imperative to talk to your doctor about cannabis use and ovulation.
Cannabis can benefit people in a variety of ways and has many amazing applications. Apply for a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania in your home state if you are not looking to get pregnant or are not already pregnant. As you proceed through the application process, the 420 Medical Card Online virtual clinic is available and ready to provide you with helpful advice.
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