Several birth-control options on the market

A 17-year-old girl suddenly collapsed and died this year from a pulmonary embolism. This is just one in a number of cases of pulmonary embolisms in the last five years in people under the age of 60. Pulmonary embolism is normally a condition found in the elderly. What could be the cause of this condition in these young girls? According to some, it’s birth control pills.

The conditions were narrowed down to two birth control pills that many of the girls were taking- Yaz and Yasmin.

With the possible side effects ranging from high blood pressure to death, women must be proactive in researching birth control options and alert doctors to any changes in health that may be related to their medications.

In the last four years, 50 deaths related to Yaz and Yasmin have been reported, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Shortly after the deaths were brought to the attention of the government, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Bayer, the German company that produces the two pills.

The letter emphasized that one of the company’s recent commercials ignored side effects, such as heart attack stroke and even sudden death. The commercial was pulled off the air after the letter was sent and Bayer released a new commercial, correcting its wrongs in the previous one.

Bayer’s annual report showed a $616 million in revenue for Yaz and Yasmin in 2008, making them the most popular pills on the market.

That $616 million dollars in sales may add up to a lot of women who are at risk.

Lauren Henderson, a sophomore at GCSU, was one of these women. Henderson took Yaz for a year and noticed some painful side effects.

“I was having trouble breathing,” Henderson said. “Then I started to feel sharp, shooting pains in my chest, and that’s when I went to the doctor.”

“After going through that pain, I did my research,” Henderson explained. “I talked to my doctor, thumbed through the side effects and chose a different pill. I didn’t want to hurt like that again.”

With all the risky side effects, women are finding themselves asking the question “which pill is right for me?”

According to Web MD’s Web site, birth control pills have different doses of various hormones. These hormones have different effects on different women.

“Hormonal birth control pills can be taken safely by most women, but is not recommended for women who are over the age of 35 and smoke,” said a Web MD spokesperson on the health organization’s Web site. “If you don’t smoke, you can use (the pills) until menopause. In addition, you should not take (the birth control pills) if you have had blood clots, serious heart or liver disease, or cancer of the breast or uterus.”

Seasonique is another birth control pill that is gaining popularity. Many women are asking if this pill is safe. It comes in a three-month-pack of active pills, causing you to have only four periods a year.

According to Web MD’s Web site, it is safe and it lists Seasonique as an effective brand of birth control pill.

After researching possible side effects, women should also consider their finances. Insurance coverage varies from complete coverage to none.

A 28-pill pack of Yaz usually runs at about $50 with no insurance coverage. Seasonique is usually around $125 for a three-month supply.

GCSU doesn’t offer any special discounts or ways of receiving cheap oral contraceptives.

Kara Massey, a sophomore at GCSU, gets her birth-control through the Baldwin County Health Department.

“I pay $10 for a generic brand,” Massey said.”It’s just as effective, and costs much less.”

Oral contraceptives do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes. Most medical professionals recommend using a condom during sexual activity even while on birth control medication. Other forms of birth-control medication include a birth-control patch, a birth-control shot, IUDs, spermicidal creams, as well as others.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 6 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry