Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Among First on Trial

Bellwether trials in the ongoing Yaz and Yasmin litigation cases are slowly making their way towards their first day, and among the first cases on trial will involve the deadly Yaz pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism takes place when a Yaz blood clots makes its way to one of the arteries in the lung. One in three people who experience pulmonary embolism do not survive it, and as such it is one of the deadliest killers in the country. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue a report on Yaz pulmonary embolism as associated with Yaz and Yasmin by the end of the year.

Even young women are at risk for severe Yaz side effects, and the birth control remains a popular one for teenage girls and young adults. Although there is some risk of blood clots with any hormonal birth control medication,
studies have shown that women who use hormonal birth control that utilizes drospirenone are up to six times more likely to suffer from a blood clot related condition than women who are using another hormonal birth control method, even another hormonal birth control pill. 

As Yaz trials draw ever closer, more and more women are filing Yaz lawsuits in order to avoid being limited by their state’s statute of limitations. Most recently, Jennifer Cruz of Brooklyn, New York filed a Yaz/Yasmin lawsuit against Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Her lawsuit alleges that she took the birth control pills from March to October of 2008 and as a result has suffered from heart arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and stroke. 

Many medical experts believe the reason Yaz and Yasmin appear to be so dangerous to the women who take them is that these birth control pills contain the controversial synthetic hormone drospirenone. It has also been prescribed by doctors for the treatment of acne and severe PMS, uses for which it was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Many medical and legal experts believe that, since there are many similar products on the market that come with none of the risks associated with Yaz, drospirenone-containing birth control pills should be banned.