Health Concerns Over Popular Contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin
The oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin are the top-selling pharmaceutical line for Bayer HealthCare, largely as a result of marketing that presents them as much more than mere pregnancy prevention. As noted in the New York Times, Yaz, in particular, the top-selling birth control pill in the United States, owes much of its popularity to multimillion-dollar ad campaigns that have promoted the drug as a quality-of-life treatment to combat acne and severe premenstrual depression.
The Times also notes that recently the Yaz line’s image has been clouded by concerns from some researchers, health advocates and plaintiffs’ lawyers. They say that the drugs put women at higher risk for blood clots, strokes and other health problems than some other birth control pills do.
And regulators are finding other faults with the Yaz franchise. The FDA early this year asked Bayer to correct misleading television commercials. Last month, the agency cited the company for not following proper quality control procedures at a plant that makes hormone ingredients. Some industry analysts say that the avalanche of criticism could tarnish the Yaz line’s image. Bayer said that the company had been served with 74 lawsuits brought by women who charge that they developed health problems after taking Yaz or Yasmin.
The company says it intends to defend itself vigorously against the suits. The health questions and the lawsuits may rattle consumer confidence, but the Times notes the warnings from federal health authorities about advertising and quality control raise larger questions about Bayer’s approach to complying with government rules.
