Yaz Birth Control Pills Hit with Blood Clot Warning Label: 3 Things to Know

Recent studies have found that Drospirenone-containing birth control pills have a higher risk of causing blood clots than other pills, which contain progestin.

5 Things to Know About the Risk:

Risk Level: While the risk of blood clots is higher on drospirenon based tablets, the overall risk is still low. The FDA put the risk into perspective: The risk of blood clots is higher when using any birth control pills than not using them, but still remains lower than the risk of developing blood clots in pregnancy and in the postpartum period...For example: If 10,000 women who are not pregnant and do not use birth control pills are followed for one year, between 1 and 5 of these women will develop a blood clot.

Brands: Popular modern birth control brands such as Beyaz, Yasmin and Yaz will all be updated with the warning labels, but the FDA says women should continue to take the pills as usual. 

Blood Clot Symptoms: The FDA advises women to educate themselves about blood clot symptoms, which range from leg pain to shortness of breath.  If women experience any of the symptoms related to blood clots they are advised to consulate a doctor. 

The controversial issue of potentially higher clotting risk with drospirenone-containing products has been swirling for some time, David Calabrese, chief pharmacy officer, SXC Health Solutions told ModernMedicine.com.

 While it is well-justified for FDA to now issue product labeling changes based upon review of this more recent epidemiological data, it should also be noted that general risk of clotting still remains relatively low with all oral contraceptives, and epidemiological evidence can be muddled by a wide array of confounding factors. Nonetheless, providers should take heed in closely monitoring and evaluating these data and labeling changes for themselves and openly discussing the risks and benefits of various oral contraceptive options with their patients.

The FDA advisory board voted 21-5 in favor of the new labels for modern contraceptive brands. These types of birth control pills have won popularity for having fewer side effects such as weight gain and mood swings, which have been attributed to some older birth control brands.