The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a report regarding the adverse health effects associated with fourth generation contraceptives. The birth control pills in question include Yaz, Ocella, Yasmin, Beyaz, Safyral, and their generic forms. All of which contain the same active ingredient, drospirenone. Drospirenone prevents the ovulation process in women by altering conditions in the cervical and uterine lining; therefore making it harder for sperm to reach the uterus. Unfortunately, drospirenone may also be responsible for severe and sometimes fatal blood clots.
Pills being referred to as third generation contraceptives, utilize a progestin known as levonorgestrel in the prevention of pregnancy. However, the fourth generation pills that have been associated with blood clots (Yaz, Ocella, Yasmin, Beyaz, and Safyral) use drospirenone. Drospirenone is another progestin, yet it has been found to carry a two- to three-fold higher risk of venous thromboembolism, or a blood clot in a deep vein.
Venous thromboembolism is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in the legs. It is a serious condition because a blood clot that has formed in a vein can break loose and travel to the lungs, which has the potential to cause a heart attack or stroke.
In an FDA report, the agency acknowledged that they are aware of two newly published studies that evaluated the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in women who use birth control pills that contain drospirenone. The two recently published studies looked at whether there is a higher risk of blood clots in women taking birth control pills containing the progestin drospirenone when compared to similar women taking birth control pills containing a different progestin called levonorgestrel. These two new studies reported that there is a greater risk of VTE associated with birth control pills that contain drospirenone. This risk is reported to be up to 2 to 3 times greater than the risk of VTE associated with using levonorgestrel-containing pills.
Do I Have a Drospirenone Lawsuit?
The trial lawyers at The Senators (Ret.) Firm, LLP have decades of experience navigating through complex legislative and regulatory issues and litigating high stakes cases all over the nation. Our law firm focuses on the representation of plaintiffs in drospirenone lawsuits. We are currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one has been injured after taking a contraceptive that contains drospirenone, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and / or refund by participating in a drospirenone lawsuit and we can help.