Earlier we told you about the new investigation of Yaz and Yasmin by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Canada is now joining the United States and Europe in taking a closer look at drospirenone products such as the birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin. On June 7, 2011, Health Canada announced their own safety review. The Canadian report, available here, states:
Health Canada is informing health professionals and consumers, particularly women, that it is conducting an ongoing safety review of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives to evaluate the potential for an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE, which are blood clots) relative to other birth control pills.
According to the report, Yaz and Yasmin are the only two drospirenone containing birth control pills marketed in Canada. The studies that triggered the FDA and Health Canada investigations suggest that the clot-related risks associated with Yaz and Yasmin are “two to three times greater” than other pills on the market that use a different progestin. A higher risk of blood clots also increases your chance of suffering a pulmonary embolism or stroke, which could be deadly.
Thousands of women across North America have already learned about the connection between blood clots and Yaz the hard way. The Canadian report suggests that appropriate action “could include informing health professionals and Canadians of new safety information.” If you were taking a pill with two to three times the risk of other available pills, wouldn’t you want to know?
