Yasmin birth control: Are you worried about the pill's potential health risks?

Top-selling birth control pills Yasmin, and its sister pill, Yaz, both contain drospirenon, which has raised safety concerns. Health Canada is reviewing the latest research. (Robert Ballantyne/CBC)

The Yasmin birth control pill is back in the spotlight after it was revealed Health Canada is reviewing two U.K. studies that suggest women who take the top-selling pill are at an increased risk of blood clots.

The risk is believed to be caused by the synthetic hormone drospirenone, which is used in Yasmin and its sister pill, Yaz.

The British Medical Journal studies suggest that women taking birth control pills containing drospirenone have 2.5 to three times the risk of suffering a blood clot than women on other pills.

In an email to CBC Marketplace, a Health Canada official said the department "is evaluating the recently published studies and is looking at available information to fully assess the risk of blood clots."

Health Canada's review comes on the heels of an announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that it is also reviewing research about birth control pills containing drospirenone.

Are you worried about the health risks associated with taking the birth control pill? If you have taken Yasmin, what was that experience like? Let us know in the comments below or by emailing us at yournews@cbc.ca.


(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)