Cannabis use could affect women’s fertility, new study finds

Published on 09/09/2025 - 17:00 GMT+2

Cannabis usage whitethorn impact women’s fertility, caller investigation suggests.

Researchers tested samples from women who underwent successful vitro fertilisation (IVF) to effort to get pregnant successful Canada. Samples that tested affirmative for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – nan psychoactive constituent successful cannabis that makes group consciousness “high” – were much apt to person signs of mediocre outcomes.

That included less embryos that were chromosomally normal, which is tied to implantation failure, miscarriage, and incompatibility pinch life, according to nan study published successful nan journal Nature Communications.

The researchers from Canada and Israel analysed 1,059 samples of follicular fluid, aliases nan liquid successful nan ovaries that surrounds and nourishes a processing egg. Sixty-two samples tested affirmative for THC metabolites, indicating nan women had utilized cannabis.

These were nan samples pinch abnormal chromosome counts, connected average.

The researchers besides ran laboratory tests connected immature ovum cells from 24 donors to simulate nan imaginable effects of utilizing THC. At THC levels akin to what they recovered successful nan 62 samples, nan supplier was much apt to induce errors successful nan distribution of chromosomes, which could make IVF much apt to fail.

Notably, nan ovum maturation rate, which is nan percent of eggs that successfully create and tin beryllium fertilised, was besides affected by THC. However, nan researchers only recovered changes erstwhile they utilized levels of THC that were higher than nan mean magnitude detected successful nan patients’ samples.

Cyntia Duval, nan study’s lead author, said its cardinal spot is that her squad was capable to measurement THC levels straight successful patients’ samples, whereas astir different studies trust connected women to self-report their cannabis use. However, galore do not admit to utilizing cannabis.

“Our method gives america a overmuch much meticulous image and helped america fig retired nan nonstop concentrations to usage for our successful vitro experiments,” Duval, now head of translational investigation astatine nan Toronto-based CReATe Fertility Centre, told Euronews Health.

The authors cautioned that their findings only use to a circumstantial type of immature ovum cell. The study besides did not return into relationship factors specified arsenic nan women’s ages, which could impact nan wide wellness of their eggs.

Duval said it isn’t clear really often aliases really overmuch cannabis nan women used.

More investigation would beryllium needed to understand really cannabis usage affects gestation outcomes done nan pathways identified successful nan study. But erstwhile investigation has pointed to a nexus betwixt supplier usage and fertility, and betwixt cannabis and sperm quality.

The researchers said that because cannabis is truthful commonly used, it is captious to understand really it affects people’s mental, physical, and reproductive health. It could besides thief doctors amended counsel their patients, they said.

“Our main extremity is simple: to amended group pinch ovaries and IVF patients that cannabis mightiness effect oocyte maturation and IVF outcomes,” Duval said.

“As cannabis becomes ineligible successful much places, group request entree to this benignant of accusation now much than ever,” she added.