Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella and the Hormone "drsp"
Birth control pills, or oral contraceptives, have been around for decades. But what you may not know is why Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella are different than other birth control pills.
Like many other oral contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin are called “combination” birth control pills because they contain two types of hormones: estrogen and progestin. Yaz and Yasmin (also known by the generic name Ocella) contain a relatively new type of progestin hormone known as drospirenone, or “drsp” and a type of estrogen called ethinyl estradiol.
The problem is that medical studies have shown that birth controls containing drsp may cause more serious health risks than other birth control pills. In fact, the British Medical Journal recently featured a Dutch medical study and a Danish medical study, both of which concluded that birth control pills containing drsp have a higher risk of causing thrombosis (a fancy medical term for blot clots). Blood clots can be life-threatening; if a clot travels to the lungs it can cause a pulmonary embolism, while a clot that travels to the brain can lead to a stroke.
Yaz and Yasmin are two of the top-selling birth control pills in the United States, and because they contain drsp, they may put women at greater risk for developing serious health complications. In fact, the FDA has warned that women with high levels of potassium levels shouldn’t take Yaz or Yasmin because drsp may also cause an increase in potassium, which can be life-threatening.
Women should check with their doctors for more information about potential Yasmin, Ocella and Yaz side effects.
