Yasmin: Contraceptive Linked to Severe Injuries, False and Misleading Advertising
Yasmin, a popular birth control pill taken by millions of women around the world to avoid becoming pregnant and treat other medical conditions, has been associated with life-threatening injuries. Women taking Yasmin, the generic form of the drug called Ocella, or the related drug Yaz have suffered strokes, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis and other types of blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and gallbladder disease, among other serious health problems.
The makers of Yasmin and Yaz also have been sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration for airing misleading television ads for the drugs, which gave consumers the wrong idea about which conditions the pills were approved to treat. The ads falsely claimed that Yasmin and Yaz were approved for treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and all forms of acne, when they are only FDA approved for treating symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and moderate to severe acne. The ads also downplayed the serious risks and side effects associated with the drugs, the FDA said.
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was ordered in October 2008 to correct the offending ads and forced to spend millions of dollars to produce and air new ads intended to clarify the approved uses of the drugs. However, no one knows how many women took the pills after seeing the ads, only to learn they are at increased risks of serious, life-threatening injuries as a result.
Yasmin Injuries
Women taking Yasmin, the related drug Yaz, or the generic form called Ocella to avoid becoming pregnant or to treat PMDD or severe acne have suffered injuries including:
- Stroke
- Pulmonary embolism
- Blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis
- Heart attack
- Rash
- Hives
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest tightness
- Vision problems
- Cancers of the reproductive organs and breasts
- Gallbladder disease
- Liver cancer
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Other serious and deadly health complications