Alternaleaf, a UK-based medical cannabis clinic, has launched the country’s first women’s health service dedicated to cannabis-based treatments for gynaecological and hormonal conditions.
The new unit, led by the company’s Medical Director and Pharmacist Nabila Chaudhri, aims to address the ‘gender care gap’ as increasing numbers of women seek alternatives to conventional painkillers and long NHS waiting times.
A team of gynaecologists and women’s health specialists will focus on conditions such as endometriosis and perimenopause-related symptoms, including anxiety and depression.
According to Alternaleaf, the number of female patients has grown by 50% every three months over the past year.
Chaudhri said: “We’ve seen dramatically increasing numbers of patients coming to us to manage endometriosis, heavy periods and perimenopause symptoms, many of whom feel dismissed by doctors elsewhere or reject strong painkillers due to disruptive side effects.
“As Medical Director, and as a woman who has experienced medical misogyny myself, I wanted to ensure our approach to women’s health was robust, so women know they will be taken seriously by clinicians trained in gynaecology, perimenopause, menopause and chronic pain.”
NHS gynaecology waiting lists have more than doubled since 2020, with around 630,000 women waiting for care.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) recently found that almost 90% of healthcare professionals believe long waits are harming patients’ quality of life, while 88% of patients said their symptoms have worsened. Endometriosis still takes an average of eight years to diagnose.
https://businessofcannabis.com/alternaleaf-launches-uks-first-womens-health-cannabis-service/
