All birth-control pills come with risks, specifically high blood pressure and stroke, but recent studies published in the British Medical Journal have shown that newer birth control pills such as Yaz and Yasmin may be linked to a higher incidence of blood clots among women who take them.
The difference between new birth control pills and the old-school pills is the synthetic hormone synthetic hormone called drospirenone, used by Yaz and Yasmin. Older drugs usually employ levonorgestrel, a type of progestin.
According to one of the studies, the risk of blood clots when you use a drospirenone-based pill is about 30.8 per 100,000 women, compared to 12.5 per 100,000 women on the older pills. Bayer, the drug company that makes Yasmin and Yaz says its products are safe.
Is it a giant risk? No. But it’s good to know these things when you visit your gyno. Decide with her which type of birth control is best for you, based on your medical history.
