TresSugar

Yaz and Yasmine: Are These Birth Control Pills Safe?

TresSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Anne Marie Eakins, a 34-year-old history teacher in Grafton, OH, developed blood clots in both lungs in 2007 and even lost partial use of her right lung. The cause, as she sees it? The newish oral contraceptive Yaz, the top-selling birth control pill in the US, which she switched to after a decade of using different kinds of birth control pills without incurring health problems. She is now suing the makers, Bayer HealthCare pharmaceuticals.

Like 74 other plaintiffs against the makers of Yaz and its sister pill, Yasmine, which was introduced a few years before, Eakins decided to make the switch in part because of the added benefits touted in multimillion dollar ads that ran on television. Yaz, which contains even less estrogen than low-estrogen Yasmine, is advertised as a product that could reduce acne and severe PMS, in addition to preventing pregnancy. How do Yaz and Yasmine differ from other birth control pills? To find out, read more.

Although both Yaz and Yasmine come with the standard warning that the hormones in birth control pills (estrogen plus progestin) can increase the risk of stroke and blood clots in a woman's legs or lungs, lawyers representing the plaintiffs and regulatory agencies claim that Bayer's ads overstate the products' effectiveness and don't adequately warn of possibly higher risks of clots unique to Yaz and Yasmine.

They say Bayer doesn't take into account research that indicated that a hormone unique to the products (drospirenone) increases the likelihood of clots compared to birth control that has the standard levonorgestrel hormone. (Lawyers claim Bayer relied on its research findings in Germany that concluded there is the same risk, over Dutch and Danish research that had the opposite conclusion.) Other criticisms are equally troubling: that the manufacturing plants in Germany responsible for the hormones in Yaz and Yasmine differ in quality control from what is required for US products; that studies conducted were performed with an ethnically homogeneous group, not taking into account blood-clot risk factors in a more ethnically variable US market; and finally, that Yaz and Yasmine are marketed for conditions like PMS, for which the drug is not approved.

I considered switching to these kinds of birth control pills because of the claim that they prevented severe PMS. Do you believe the marketing for products like Yaz and Yasmine or do you do your research before you buy?

What's the Deal With: Yaz Birth Control

DearSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:11:48 -0700

I'm sure you all can relate to the annoying and uncomfortable symptoms of PMS - it's just part of being a woman. For most women, PMS is manageable, but if you're having symptoms that are so severe that they affect your daily activities, your work, or your relationships, then your PMS may actually be PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).

Symptoms of PMDD include sadness and crying, feeling nervous or anxious, strong cravings for certain foods, breast tenderness, headaches, joint or muscle pain, bloating, and trouble sleeping. That's where YAZ comes in. It's the only birth control proven to treat these emotional and physical premenstrual symptoms.

Although this video is a bit cheesy, here's what Yaz is all about. Want to hear more? Then read more

Like all birth control pills, Yaz is also 99% effective at preventing pregnancy and it can give you shorter, lighter periods. It can also help keep your skin clear - 9 out of 10 women who took Yaz saw improvement in their moderate acne.

If you have unbearable symptoms about a week or two before your period, you very well might be suffering from PMDD so if you are into taking hormonal birth control pills, Yaz could be the answer.

Dear's Advice: Remember that birth control pills don't protect against STIs, so if you are on the pill, make sure you and your partner get tested before you get it on.

Health Benefits of the Pill

DearSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I'm sure many of you are on the pill for various different reasons, but most of you have been on it for years, so have you ever asked yourself if you were doing more harm than good? If so, and if you're concerned about the health risks of taking the pill, check out this chart below.

Health Benefits

Studies have shown that being on the pill for more than two years can decrease your risk for ovarian cancer by 70 percent, and endometrial cancer by 50 percent (great news).
The occurrence of benign ovarian tumors is also decreased.
Higher dose pills can decrease the development of ovarian cysts and fibroids.

To see the rest of this list, read more.

Health Benefits

Not only can the pill lighten your periods, but that decrease in blood loss is great for women who have issues with anemia.
If you have extremely painful or heavy periods, the pill can help alleviate these symptoms.
If you have acne, certain types of pills can help clear up your skin.
Certain pills such as Yaz can also help with PMS (goodbye crying uncontrollably and breaking up with your boyfriend every month!).
You'll be happy to hear that being on the pill for extended periods of time doesn't affect your fertility, so when you're ready to become pregnant, your body will be ready soon after you go off it.

Dear's advice: As you can see, there are numerous benefits to being on the pill. You should know that there are also health risks that go along with taking hormonal birth control. Although it's rare, the pill may cause blood clots, strokes, or heart attacks. If you're a smoker or over 35, these risks are increased. If you have a family history of any of these issues, you probably should find another form of birth control.

Source

Birth Control Pills: How Do They Compare?

DearSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0700

I don't know about you, but just about every woman I know has been on or is taking birth control pills. There are so many different brands out there and they all offer different amounts of hormones, so I made this handy chart to help you figure out which one may be right for you. These pills are combination pills, which means they contain a type of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol), and a type of progestin (levonorgestrel, desogestrel, norethindrone). The pills with the least amount of ethinyl estradiol tend to offer the least amount of side effects, and the ones that offer the same hormonal dosages each day (monophasic pills) will help to ease PMS symptoms (mainly mood swings). With so many different options out there, it's important to know what's actually in these pills, since every woman's body reacts differently to hormonal birth control. Check out my chart below:

Birth Control	Hormone Dosage
Alesse	.10 mg levonorgestrel and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Brevikon	.5 mg norethindrone acetate and 35 mcg estrogen per pill
Cyclessa	Phase 1: .1 mg desogestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .125 mg desogestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: 15 mg desogestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Jolessa	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Junel 21 Day	1.5 mg norethindrone acetate and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Kelnor	1 mg ethynodiol diacetate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Loestrin 21	1 mg norethindrone acetate and 20 mcg estrogen per pill

Don't see yours on the list? To see the others, read more.

Birth Control	Hormone Dosage
Lybrel	.09 mg levonorgestrel and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Nordette	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Orthro Tri-Cyclen	Phase 1: .18 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .215 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: 25 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Orthro Tri-Cyclen Lo	Phase 1: .18 mg norgestimate and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol (type of estrogen) per pill Phase 2: .215 mg norgestimate and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: 25 mg norgestimate and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Reclipsen	.15 mg desogestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Seasonal	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Seasonique	.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Solia	.15 mg desogestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Trivora-28	Phase 1: .5 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcgethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .075 mg levonorgestrel and 40 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: .125 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Velivet	Phase 1: .1 mg desogestrel and 25 mcgethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 2: .125 mg desogrestrel and 25 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill Phase 3: .15 mg desogestrel and 24 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Yasmin	3 mg drospirenone and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill
Yaz	3 mg drospirenone and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol per pill

Pretty interesting information, huh? So ladies, if you're on the pill, which one works best for you?

Source

What Birth Control Method Do You Recommend?

DearSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

I love my girlfriends, but not just because we have fun together, because they offer great advice, too. We can talk about love, sex, friendship, and of course, how to stay pregnancy free! They've used an array of birth control methods, including Yaz, Mirena, and the NuvaRing, but they each say I should be on their preferred method because they love it so much.

Since finding the right birth control can take some trial and error, hearing recommendations from friends can be a great starting point. So ladies, what kind of birth control would you recommend? And do you have any nightmare experiences with a specific one that you'd tell people to avoid like the plaque?