Recent news about Yaz and Yasmin Birth Control Pills

Recently, there were news about women taking the birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin having higher risk of blood clots compared to women taking other birth control pills.

We, at Custom Care Pharmacy, have proactively contacted patients taking either Yaz or Yasmin to address their questions or concerns after hearing about the news.

While Yaz and Yasmin are still available through prescription, many women may now be wondering about other prescription options for birth control.

There are other commonly used oral birth control pills that do not contain the same hormone (drospirenone) as Yaz and Yasmin. Examples are Alesse (also available as Alysena and Aviane), Min Ovral (Portia), Marvelon (Apri), Tricyclen Lo, etc. Although these oral birth control pills seem to have lower risk of blood clots compared to Yaz or Yasmin, one in 10,000 women taking these birth control pills will still develop blood clots.

Some women may consider using 'non-oral' birth control prescription options such as the hormonal (Mirena®) intrauterine device (IUD) or the non-hormonal Intrauterine device (Nova-T). These devices are inserted by physicians and they provide contraception for a 3-5 years period.

Another ‘non-oral’ birth control prescription is the (Depo-Provera®) progesterone injection. This injection is given by the doctor every 3 months for contraception. 

These are just a few common examples of prescription birth control options. Each type has a different risk and benefit profile that may or may not be suitable for you to use. For example, women over the age of 35 who smoke are at an increased risk of blood clots and should not be using birth control pills. We encourage women to discuss with their doctor to determine the right prescription birth control option for them.  

If you have concerns about blood clots or continuing to use Yaz/Yasmin, you should discuss this with your physician.   At Custom Care Pharmacy, we have female pharmacists on staff that can provide you with further information on birth control. Our phone number is 905-305-0111.

Custom Care Pharmacy - We do the right thing for your health.