Planned Parenthood Speaks Out on Yaz, Just another Product Harming Women
Vaginal mesh helpline has Launched a Yaz Helpline for Women harmed by Yaz. Yaz now has been given orders by The FDA for increased warnings and Bayer si offering the first round of payoffs for yaz. yaz has complications such as: Stroke, blood clots, Deep vein thrombosis, Pulmonary embolism, and even death. At Vaginal mesh Helpline we are concerned about all drugs and medical dsevices harming women and will continue to keep our followers informed about all neew developements. Our research has shown that Yaz was being given out by Planned Parenthood in many states esecially to lower income families as a form of birth control. Wer found comments from the executive director of planned parenthood on Yaz:
d Clot Warning Added To Birth Control Pills Like Yaz: What To Know
10 days ago by Briana Rognlin | 5 Comments | Share a Tip
birth control blood clot warningsThe Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this week that it would add stronger warning labels to Yaz, Yasmin and other birth control pills containing drospirenone (a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone) about the associated risk of blood clots. But, the FDA emphasized, the risk is still small; smaller, in fact, than the risk of blood clots during pregnancy or the postpartum period, and small enough that women taking the pill shouldn’t worry and should “continue taking their pills as directed unless told otherwise by their healthcare professional.” But headlines like “FDA’s Yasmin and Yaz Blood Clots Warning is a Victory for Consumers” and “The Birth Control Warning You Need To Know About” would make you believe otherwise. So we spoke to Planned Parenthood‘s Vice President of External Medical Affairs, Vanessa Cullins, to find out what we really need to know.
Check out our Q&A with Cullins, who put the risk of popular brands like Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, Safyral into perspective for us:
First, can you explain which kinds of birth control are most worrisome?
I want to start out by saying that none of the FDA-approved birth control methods should be considered worrisome. There are risks and benefits to all medications, including prescription birth control. When you look across the board at hormonal-containing birth control pills, whether you’re talking about those that contain drospirenone (like Beyaz, Yasmin or Yaz), or, say, desogestril (like Desogen), all are extremely safe and effective. There are some progestins that carry with them a slightly higher risk of venous thromboembolism—yet venous thromboembulism is still extremely rare and occurs much less often than during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
Are there women in particular who are at higher risk?
First of all, if a woman has a history of venous thromoembulism she should not be using hormonal birth control pills that contain estrogen.
But a woman may sit down with her doctor, look at her family history and risk factors in general—for instance perhaps she does a whole lot of plane travel, or has other reasons to be very sedentary, and has never been on a contraceptive formulation in the past—and decide that they want to try a formulation that has a history of a lower risk of venous thromboembulism, such as levonorgestrel. But by the same token, you could have a woman who is on a plane or sedentary a lot, and has been on levonorgestrel formulations in the past and not had a good side effect experience, so she’s willing to accept that increased risk of venal stromboembulism because it’s much more important for her to prevent pregnancy at this point in her life, and she wants to use a pill.
What I’m trying to convey here is that it’s very situational and unique to the circumstances and lifestyle issues of an individual woman. It means taking into account the woman’s individual characteristics as it relates to her medical and family history, and such things as whether or not she’s at an increased risk of venous thromboembulism.
The FDA has said that women should “continue taking their pills as directed unless told otherwise by their healthcare professional.” So why are they requiring the new warning labels?
Because information is a good thing., as long as it is appropriately considered. And by appropriately considered I mean not being alarmed. The information is important in individualizing or tailoring a decision around contraception formulation.
Should women book appointments with their physicians in order to discuss the risks, or just sit back and wait until their next appointment as they normally would?
I would advise women to sit back and wait for their next apointment to discuss this. However if she is extremely worried by all means make a phone call. I think a phone call should be adequate in terms of allowing the physician or health care practitioner to talk about her concerns. If by chance an appointment is needed that can be determined through the phone call.
Is this sort of news damaging for birth control types or brands? Have health warnings on other birth control methods persuaded women to switch?
Unfortunately the reaction generally is one of alarm and both providers and women potentially overreacting and stopping their birth control and this resulting in unintended pregnancy rates going up. This issue is not a new issue: The first time this came about was in 1995 when epidemiological studies in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, showed that pill formulations containing gestodene (which is only available in Europe). And on the basis of the findings being reported in an inappropriate context, you had both providers and women becoming very alarmed and people stopping their preferred birth control formulations and the resulting situation the following year was actually an increase in the abortion rate.
Is there one particular kind of birth control that’s clearly “the safest” or risk free? Is there any sort of dream birth control in that sense?
It depends on what kind of risks you’re looking at. What immediately comes to mind is that when you’re not using anything, then you don’t have any risk associated with mediation or use of that particular thing. So with abstinence you tend to not have medical risks. But you can potentially have some psychological risks…[ed. note: at this point, Cullins and I giggle together over the 'risks' of abstenence] depending on who you are.
I would say that, you know, there are risks associated with anything and everything. Clearly all medications have risk associated with them, and you just have to determine what you’re willing to kind of put up with. Whether you’re talking about side effects or very rare risk.
What do you want to drive home?
I just want to say that decision-making around contraception and women to become pregnant or women to parent is based on risk versus benefits, and what’s important to you and for your family at that particular time in your life. So that risk and benefit balance will change over time. And that’s normal. It’s all about putting things into perspective.
I fyou or a love one has experienced complications form yaz call our new Yaz division today. We will offer you the same TLC as our lady victims of the horrors of the vaginal mesh. Ladies we must fight for justice. There are just too many drugs and medical devices harming women.
