Funding outcome

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a debilitating condition affecting approximately 15% of women worldwide. Opioid analgesics are commonly used to treat women with CPP. However, in some individuals, opioids are ineffective, and many physicians fear inappropriate use, tolerance, as well as adverse effects such as constipation, nausea and vomiting, leading to clinicians looking elsewhere for alternative pain control methods. There is some promising literature to support of use of cannabis for chronic noncancer pain. Unfortunately, at the current time there is no literature regarding its use and efficacy in women with CPP. Therefore, we wish to determine the use and efficacy of cannabis among women with CPP. We will be collecting data from women attending the CPP clinic at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton and the CPP clinic in Calgary who will be recruited to fill out a questionnaire, which will assess the use of medical and non-medical cannabis as well as self-reported benefit. This will provide an environmental scan on the use of cannabis in women with CPP, and act as a platform from which we can develop further studies to carefully examine efficacy of this emerging treatment modality and deepen our understanding of this condition and management options.