TABLE 4.
Medical cannabis use for menopause-related symptoms: comparison of perimenopausal and postmenopausal survey participants (two-tailed)
| Medical cannabis use variables | All respondents, N = 214 | Perimenopausal, n = 111 | Postmenopausal, n = 103 | Perimenopausal vs postmenopausal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | χ2 (p) | |
| Medical cannabis use for menopause-related symptomsa,b | ||||
| Sleep disturbance | 155 (67.4%) | 85 (72.0%) | 70 (62.5%) | 2.38 (0.12) |
| Mood/anxiety | 106 (46.1%) | 64 (54.2%) | 42 (37.5%) | 6.48 (0.01) |
| Libido | 70 (30.4%) | 41 (34.7%) | 29 (25.9%) | 2.13 (0.15) |
| Sexual pleasure | 43 (18.7%) | 24 (20.3%) | 19 (17.0%) | 0.43 (0.51) |
| Hot flashes | 30 (13.0%) | 15 (12.7%) | 15 (13.4%) | 0.02 (0.88) |
| Night sweats | 29 (12.6%) | 14 (11.9%) | 15 (13.4%) | 0.12 (0.73) |
| Other body pain | 13 (5.7%) | 9 (7.6%) | 4 (3.6%) | 1.77 (0.18) |
| Vaginal dryness | 9 (3.9%) | 5 (4.2%) | 4 (3.6%) | 0.07 (0.80) |
| Vaginal pain | 8 (3.5%) | 6 (5.1%) | 2 (1.8%) | 1.86 (0.17) |
| Other | 4 (1.7%) | 2 (1.7%) | 2 (1.8%) | <0.01 (0.96) |
| Not used for menopause | 49 (21.3%) | 22 (18.6%) | 27 (24.1%) | 1.02 (0.31) |
| Interested in exploring medical cannabis or hemp-based products for menopause-related symptoms? | 0.38 (0.54) | |||
| No | 46 (21.5%) | 22 (19.8%) | 24 (23.3%) | — |
| Yes | 168 (78.5%) | 89 (80.2%) | 79 (76.7%) | — |
| If not interested, why?b,c | ||||
| Lack of knowledge | 18 (39.1%) | 9 (40.9%) | 9 (37.5%) | 0.06 (0.81) |
| No need/symptoms well-managed | 15 (32.6%) | 5 (22.7%) | 10 (41.7%) | 1.87 (0.17) |
| Access to products | 7 (15.2%) | 5 (22.7%) | 2 (8.3%) | 1.84 (0.18) |
| Fear of intoxication | 7 (15.2%) | 5 (22.7%) | 2 (8.3%) | 1.84 (0.18) |
| Cost | 7 (15.2%) | 4 (18.2%) | 3 (12.5%) | 0.29 (0.59) |
| Fear of the unknown | 5 (10.9%) | 1 (4.5%) | 4 (16.7%) | 1.74 (0.19) |
| Previous negative side effects | 4 (8.7%) | 3 (13.6%) | 1 (4.2%) | 1.30 (0.26) |
| Tried before and did not work | 3 (6.5%) | 1 (4.5%) | 2 (8.3%) | 0.27 (0.60) |
| Do not want to use suppositories | 3 (6.5%) | 1 (4.5%) | 2 (8.3%) | 0.27 (0.60) |
| Partner acceptance | 2 (4.3%) | 1 (4.5%) | 1 (4.2%) | <0.01 (0.95) |
| Physical limitations | 1 (2.2%) | 1 (4.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1.12 (0.29) |
| Shame | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — |
| Other | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — |
| What would make you more comfortable using a medical cannabis or hemp-based product for menopause-related symptoms? b | ||||
| Data to support its use | 117 (54.7%) | 61 (55.0%) | 56 (54.4%) | 0.01 (0.93) |
| Able to order online/mail order | 116 (54.2%) | 58 (52.3%) | 58 (56.3%) | 0.35 (0.55) |
| Education about the risks/benefits | 76 (35.5%) | 43 (38.7%) | 33 (32.0%) | 1.05 (0.31) |
| Buying over-the-counter | 60 (28.0%) | 31 (27.9%) | 29 (28.2%) | <0.01 (0.97) |
| Already use/not uncomfortable | 8 (3.7%) | 6 (5.4%) | 2 (1.9%) | 1.78 (0.18) |
| No need for use | 5 (2.3%) | 2 (1.8%) | 3 (2.9%) | 0.29 (0.59) |
| Legalization | 3 (1.4%) | 3 (2.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2.82 (0.09) |
| Other | 6 (2.8%) | 3 (2.7%) | 3 (2.9%) | 0.01 (0.97) |
Bold numbers are significant at P ≤ 0.05.
aOnly answered if respondent reported trying cannabis (n = 230; perimenopausal = 118; postmenopausal = 112).
bRespondents were instructed to select all items that applied.
cOnly answered if respondent reported not interested in exploring medical cannabis/hemp for menopause-related symptoms (n = 46; perimenopausal = 22; postmenopausal = 24).