Popular Birth Control Found to Have Dangerous Side Effects

Over the last three years, Yaz has turned into not just the most popular birth control method in the U.S. but the most profitable as well. Bayer has done a major marketing campaign in order to accomplish this, even making it a favorite of doctors around the country. But these rigorous marketing campaigns have been criticized because they are misleading and sometimes not even true. Every day more women are reporting Yaz side effects they have experienced as a result of their prescription of Yaz. Yaz uses drospireonone, a synthetically made from of progestin, as do several other contraceptive drugs. Drospireonone is effective in preventing pregnancy.


The birth control pills have been heavily marketed by Bayer, particularly to young women and teens. The drug maker has received FDA warnings over advertisements that stressed the potential benefits of Yaz to treat acne and symptoms of PMS, while minimizing the potential risk of blood clots from Yaz. As a result, Bayer was forced to run a $20 million advertising campaign in 2009 to correct misrepresentations about the safety of Yaz.

According to wrongful death complaints filed against the drug maker, more than 50 Yasmin or Yaz deaths were reported to the FDA between the first quarter of 2004 and the third quarter of 2008. The fatalities have involved many young women in their teens and included reports of cardiac arrest, pulmonary embolisms and strokes, with elevated levels of potassium in the blood frequently reported. Bayer currently faces about 7,000 Yaz lawsuits and Yasmin lawsuits filed on behalf of women who allege that the drug maker failed to adequately warn about the increased risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries from the birth control bills, such as a stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or gallbladder disease.