Within the past year both Christine Navarro and Robyn Dunn were rushed to the hospital with life threatening blood clots. At the time Christine was taking the Yaz birth control pill and Robyn was taking its sister birth control drug Yasmin.
Both of these women were young and athletic and blame birth control for their brushes with death.
It's common knowledge that all women's oral contraceptives carry a percentage risk of health complications. But attorney's who've filed lawsuits on behalf of Robyn and Christine contend that Yaz and Yasmin from Bayer carry a greater risk.
These attorneys claim that recent study in the British Medical Journal found increased risk from the drug drospirenone unique to Yaz and Yasmin.
Representatives for Bayer, the maker of Yaz and Yasmin responded to the concerns, saying quote: "Patient safety is Bayer's top priority. Bayer's oral contraceptives have been and continue to be extensively studied and tested worldwide. Bayer reaffirms and stands behind the safety of its drospirenone containing oral contraceptives."
Doctor Ronald Johnson has prescribed oral contraceptives for his patients for 25 years including Yaz and Yasmin in recent years without issue.
"My personal experience has been that I have never had a patient that had blood clots, or pulmonary embolis, or a stroke, from taking birth control pills."
Still, Johnson says every woman should receive fair warning from her doctor.
"Every single person who takes birth control pills is at some risk of increased clotting. Is it a risk to be at a dangerous level? For the vast majority it is not."
Both of these women were young and athletic and blame birth control for their brushes with death.
It's common knowledge that all women's oral contraceptives carry a percentage risk of health complications. But attorney's who've filed lawsuits on behalf of Robyn and Christine contend that Yaz and Yasmin from Bayer carry a greater risk.
These attorneys claim that recent study in the British Medical Journal found increased risk from the drug drospirenone unique to Yaz and Yasmin.
Representatives for Bayer, the maker of Yaz and Yasmin responded to the concerns, saying quote: "Patient safety is Bayer's top priority. Bayer's oral contraceptives have been and continue to be extensively studied and tested worldwide. Bayer reaffirms and stands behind the safety of its drospirenone containing oral contraceptives."
Doctor Ronald Johnson has prescribed oral contraceptives for his patients for 25 years including Yaz and Yasmin in recent years without issue.
"My personal experience has been that I have never had a patient that had blood clots, or pulmonary embolis, or a stroke, from taking birth control pills."
Still, Johnson says every woman should receive fair warning from her doctor.
"Every single person who takes birth control pills is at some risk of increased clotting. Is it a risk to be at a dangerous level? For the vast majority it is not."
