According to a new study, marijuana use in women who are trying to conceive could reduce their chance of getting pregnant by 40%.
The new study, conducted by researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), was published this Monday in the journal Human Reproduction.
The researchers analyzed information from more than 1,200 women ages 18 to 40 who were trying to conceive and had experienced one or two prior miscarriages. The women were followed for six months while they were trying to conceive.
The study researchers found that, among women trying to conceive, those who reported using marijuana or who had a positive urine test for the drug were 40% less likely to get pregnant during each monthly cycle, compared with those who didn’t use marijuana.
The study also found that marijuana users had differences in levels of certain reproductive hormones, which could potentially affect their pregnancy chances.
“These results highlight potentially harmful associations between cannabis use and reproductive health outcomes,” the researchers wrote.
It should be noted that only a relatively small number of women in the study used marijuana, which limits the robustness of the study findings.
The study also involved a sample of women who had experienced a previous miscarriage, and so it is unclear if the findings would apply to the general population.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant discontinue marijuana use.
