Certain Types Of Contraceptive Pill Carry Double The Risk Of Blood Clots

The tragic story of Fallan Kurek, the 21 year old woman who died after 25 days on the pill hit the headlines this week. And now a new study has revealed that some third-generation contraceptive pills are up to twice as likely to cause blood clots in the arm or leg than older brands.

The study found that of the 28% of women taking the Pill in the UK, around a million are using the newer types of combined Pill, such as Yasmin and Femodene, which carry an increased risk of clotting.

But don’t panic just yet. The increase in risk is only between 1.5 and 1.8% for newer Pills, compared with other pills such as Microgynon.

Thankfully, extreme side effects are rare – overall, the risk of suffering a blood clot on the combined pill is only 12 in 10,000 women per year. If you’re concerned check in with your GP, and make sure to head to your local clinic to have your blood pressure checked on the regular.

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