New Article Questions Safety of Yasmin and Yaz

An article published August 13, 2009, questions the safety of birth control pills, like Yaz and Yasmin, that contain the progestin drospirenone. The article was based on a study completed in the Netherlands. The objective of the study was to assess the thrombotic risk associated with oral contraceptive use with a focus on dose of estrogen and type of progestin.

The authors concluded several things, including:
1. That all currently used oral contraceptives are equally effective in preventing pregnancy;
2. No major differences were found between oral contraceptives containing drospirenone and others containing levonorgestrel with regard to weight gain;
3. The effectiveness of alleviation of premenstrual symptoms by oral contraceptives containing drospirenone compared with other contraceptives or placebos has not been demonstrated; and
4. Available evidence suggests that for acne or weight gain there is no clear difference between most commonly used oral contraceptives.

Based on these findings, the authors advocated for the use of oral contraceptives with the smallest increase in side effects, such as risk of venous thrombosis. According to these authors, the safest option with regard to the risk of venous thrombosis is an oral contraceptive containing levonorgestrel combined with a low dose of estrogen.

The venous thrombotic risk of oral contraceptives, effects of oestrogen dose and progestogen type: results of the MEGA case-control study, A van Hylckama Vlieg, F M Helmerhorst, JP Vandenbroucke, C J M Doggen, F R Rosendaal, BMJ 2009;339:b2921.