Satisfaction with medication abortion and marijuana use: A prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Pharmacology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Medication abortion is a common method for pregnancy termination.
• Patient experience, including pain and satisfaction, is crucial for effective care.
• The role of adjunctive substances like marijuana in managing medication abortion side effects is not well-understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare self-reported satisfaction and pain scores in patients undergoing medication abortion who used marijuana versus those who did not.
• To explore patient-reported correlations between marijuana use and symptom management during medication abortion.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory study involving 51 participants at a university-affiliated abortion clinic.
• Data collection included pre-abortion questionnaires, pain diaries, and follow-up surveys.
• Statistical analysis used the medians test to compare satisfaction scores and area under the curve (AUC) for pain.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in overall satisfaction scores (p=0.90) or pain levels (p=0.73) between marijuana users (n=16) and non-users (n=35).
• Marijuana users reported subjective improvements in pain (81%), anxiety (44%), and nausea/vomiting (38%).
• 100% of marijuana users completed pain diaries, compared to 57% of non-users.

Conclusions:

• Marijuana use did not significantly alter medication abortion satisfaction or pain scores in this cohort.
• Patients who used marijuana frequently attributed symptom relief to its use.
• Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to clarify marijuana's role in managing side effects for marijuana-naïve patients.