Yasmin - Don't Rush for New Things
Bayer is releasing a new form of birth control pill called Natazia. Natazia is offering a new and daring approach, Bayer says; it works differently than other contraceptives. In short, it all sounds a bit like things we've heard before.
Yaz and Yasmin, when they came out, advertised themselves as a “different kind of hormone” with a series of advertisements that touted their efficacy at everything from stopping unwanted pregnancy to offering shorter periods and curing acne. They were marketed as wonder drugs that could do it all, and in a trendy, safe package to boot.
Of course, the FDA warned Bayer several times for promoting the drugs with misleading and dishonest advertisements. Bayer was found to have promoted their drugs for causes they weren't certified to treat, and for having implied the drug was uniquely safe compared to others.
Fast-forward a few years: Now we have studies performed in the Netherlands and Denmark that suggest these contraceptives might be responsible for higher blood clotting rates among patients who take them. In simple terms, this could have a direct impact on the heart and brain health of the patients — these clots can get into the heart or the brain, causing severe damage when the blood flow is blocked.
Now this new Bayer contraceptive is on the scene, promising to be different and more dramatic. But all pill contraceptives are based on the same basic treatment — hormones. If it's the hormones that are contributing to an increased clotting factor, then what exactly makes Natazia especially different? Yes, there's a combination of pills that must be taken instead of a single, risk-it-all medicine. And there is no immediate evidence that Natazia is particularly more dangerous than Yaz or older medicines. However, given the track record of Bayer in handling its previous information campaign, young ladies are well advised to seek out all the facts they can before jumping on board with the newest medicine.
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