tagged w/ Birth Control Pills
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By LARA SALAHI (@LaraSalahiABC)
April 22, 2011
Two new studies add to the growing evidence that birth control pills containing a newer type of progestin may put some women at higher risk for blood clots.
Both studies, published today in the British Medical Journal, found that women who took pills containing drospirenone -- which includes the brands Yasmin, Yaz and Ocella -- more than doubled their risk of nonfatal blood clots when compared with those who took pills containing levonorgestrel, an older form of progestin, included in the brands Levlite or Levlen.
But the overall risk for blood clots with any birth control pill -- whether it contains drospirenone or levonorgestrel -- remains low, said Dr. Lauren Streicher, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
"While there may be an increase in blood clots, it's important to keep in mind that the likelihood of developing a blood clot is so low in a low-risk population that a two- to three-fold increase may not translate to large absolute numbers," said Streicher.
Women who are pregnant are at higher risk for blood clots than women who are on the pill -- a blood clot occurs in one pregnant woman for every 1,000 to 1,500 pregnant women, while one in 3,000 women who take birth control pills experience some form of blood clot, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance.
Birth control pills contain a combination of estrogen and progestin, with progestin being the strongest agent in the contraceptive. Estrogen is added to offset some of the side effects of progestin. While previous studies found that estrogen increased some women's risk for blood clots, other studies suggested that, to a lesser degree, progestin could too.
But not all doctors are convinced.
Experts Say Birth Control Is Safe Overall
Dr. David Grimes, vice president of Family Health International, says he's not persuaded that either form of progestin -- drospirenone or levonorgestrel -- has been found to cause blood clots.
"These data are not credible. There's no biological basis on progestin causing blood clots," said Grimes. Grimes served as a member of the data safety monitoring committee at Bayer, which manufactures Yaz and Yasmin.
"They're barking up the wrong tree," he said.
Birth control pills are generally considered safe. But women who are obese, older than 35 and smoke, or who have a family history of blood clots, should not take oral contraceptives.
While the new studies published today make it difficult to determine the blood clot risk, doctors need to continue to inform their patients about any potential risk from any form of estrogen and progestin combination birth control pills, said Dr. Ricardo Azziz, a reproductive endocrinologist and researcher at Georgia Health Sciences University.
"It may be best to consider the data when choosing the first pill that a woman starts," said Azziz. Women respond to birth control pills differently. Some women experience weight gain, mood swings or spotting.
Birth control pills with drospirenone -- the newer progestin -- have been more frequently prescribed, because many women tolerate it better than the older progestin, said Streicher.
According to Azziz, women are more likely to continue taking the pill regularly if they find one that provides the least side effects or the best outcome.By LARA SALAHI (@LaraSalahiABC)
April 22, 2011
Two new studies add to the growing... more
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What’s the truth about birth control pills and weight gain? Women often point to oral contraception as a cause of weight gain. Without a doubt, this is one of the most widespread concerns about the pill, but it a misconception, claims a new study.What’s the truth about birth control pills and weight gain? Women often point to... more
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A nationwide anti-abortion group launched an effort in Florida Friday to outlaw all abortions and certain types of birth control, including oral contraceptives and the morning-after pill.
The religion-infused movement, called "Personhood Florida," would define conception in Florida's constitution at the "biological beginnings," supporters said -- when the sperm meets the egg. The group filed its amendment today but the exact ballot language is still being worked out.
The amendment seeks to outlaw all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest. Also criminalized: the morning-after pill and oral contraceptives taken by women, known as the pill. "There are some (birth control) methods that kill a child," said Pat McEwan, who is leading the Personhood Florida group.
The amendment faces extremely long odds. First, supporters must gather 676,811 signatures to make the ballot -- by Feb. 1, to go before voters in 2010.
And Florida has a 60-percent threshold for constitutional amendments to become law, a very difficult hurdle even for less radical ideas. In Colorado, the only state where the "personhood" amendment has appeared on the ballot, voters overwhelmingly rejected the idea by an almost three-to-one margin.
Even if adopted by voters, the amendment runs counter to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that held the U.S. Constitution grants women the basic right to an abortion.
Supporters say they're pushing the personhood amendment not only in Florida, but in a dozen other states.A nationwide anti-abortion group launched an effort in Florida Friday to outlaw all... more
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A new drug store at a Virginia strip mall is putting its faith in an unconventional business plan: No candy. No sodas. And no birth control. Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy is among at least seven pharmacies across the nation that are refusing as a matter of faith to sell contraceptives of any kind, even if a person has a prescription.
States across the country have been wrestling with the issue of pharmacists who refuse on religious grounds to dispense birth control or morning-after pills, and some have enacted laws requiring drug stores to fill the prescriptions.
In Virginia, though, pharmacists can turn away any prescription for any reason.A new drug store at a Virginia strip mall is putting its faith in an unconventional... more
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