Dutch Doctors call for contraceptive to be removed from the market
A report from the Copenhagen Post reveals that Denmark's leading birth control pill has been alleged to be the cause of the deaths of two women.
Yasmin, also available in the United States, is a third generation, low dose oral contraceptive pill
So far, Dutch authorities have recorded 40 cases of venous thrombosis among women using the drug, as well as the deaths of two women aged 24 and 17.
Oral contraceptives, as well as the birth control patch, have been associated with venous thrombosis, a serious and potentially deadly condition.
The Dutch Medicines Agency (DKMA) denied that Yasmin was any more dangerous than other oral contraceptives, but the "other" drugs are probably third generation as well. Third generation oral contraceptives have come under fire in the United States recently with the group Public Citizen calling for their removal from the market.
However, on their website, the DKMA does warn of increased blood clots among users of oral contraceptives:
Yasmin's summary of product characteristics specifies that the risk of blood clots is higher during the first year when a woman is taking contraceptive pills. In addition, it appears that in one year there are 20-40 blood clots for every 100,000 women taking contraceptive pills. By comparison, in one year there are 5-10 blood clots for every 100,000 women who are not taking contraceptive pills. Consequently, there is an increased risk of blood clots in women taking contraceptive pills.
Just like the FDA, the DKMA seems to be satisfied with a few women dying each year from use of oral contraceptives. I wonder how many patients are actually warned of this increased risk?
For further reading:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7342/869?view=full&pmid=11950727
Posted on contraceptionblog.com by Ruben
