Using CBD for Women’s Health

As we know, CBD is often recognized for its uses and benefits in pain management, anxiety relief, insomnia, and stimulating appetite. Now, we can add women’s health to that list as well. National Women’s Health Week (NWHW) is a weeklong health observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH). National Women’s Health Week usually takes place in May and serves as a reminder for women to take care of themselves, their bodies and make their health a priority. Lisa Faast, PharmD, CEO of DiversifyRx, in a session at the Pharmacy Profit Summit mentioned how carrying women’s health products in pharamacies can be such a profitable strategy as women are such an important demographic to target in the cannabis industry ( Total Pharmacy).

Alex Capano, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, chief medical officer at Ananda Professional, joined Faast during the 2021 Summit to discuss opportunities for CBD in the context of women’s health. “When I started looking at CBD and cannabinoids and the science behind that…I recognized that there’s a major therapeutic opportunity for sexual health, women’s health, gynecological issues because there’s so many receptors for these cannabinoids,” Capano said (Total Pharmacy). Capano, is well-educated and has a doctoral degree in comprehensive cannabinoid science. She has worked as a family nurse practitioner with a focus on sexual health and mentioned that CBD represents an underrecognized opportunity for its use in this area. There are many useful benefits for women who deal with vaginal conditions such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. Sadly, these are problems that are not often talked about. “In fact, 75% of women are likely to have 1 yeast infection during their lifetime, and nearly half have 2 or more” (Total Pharmacy).

Capano discussed two new CBD products offered by Ananda Professional that are focused on women’s health. First, “Endo Relief Cream is a highly concentrated, thick and moisturizing product that is applied using an intravaginal application. It is designed to help relieve pelvic pain, whether that’s for menstrual pain, pain related to endometriosis, or for other reasons” (Total Pharmacy). The molecules will work together to decrease inflammation and pain. Second, “Flora Balancing Gel, contains vegan lactic acid and prebiotics to help restore the balance of vaginal flora”. This is important in reducing the risk of yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. Also,  the gel is a water soluble and can be used for dryness or pain during sexual activity. Unfortunately, yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis can come back, especially in the summer weather conditions.

CBD continues to prove how amazing it truly can be for all the various health reasons, and adding women’s health to that is exciting.