Popular birth control pills linked to 23 deaths in Canada

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Health Canada confirms two popular birth control pills have been linked to the deaths of at least 23 women in Canada.

Yaz and Yazmin are some of the most commonly prescribed birth control pills in the world and the youngest girl to die here in Canada was just 14 years old.

Matthew Baer represents hundreds of women in a class-action lawsuit against the makers of the pills including Miranda Scott of Delta who died of blood clots.

“The allegation of the class-action is there’s an increased risk of serious side effects like blood clots with people who use Yazmin and Yaz compared to other contraceptives.”

Scott’s mother Chip McClaughry says her daughter had been healthy all her life and it was a complete shock to the family when she died three years ago.

Reports from doctors and pharmacists say most of the women died suddenly after developing blood clots, a known risk with the pills.

McClaughry says Scott went to a doctor who told her she may have strained a muscle in her back, but an autopsy later showed she had a series of blood clots in her lungs.

The University of BC Okanagan student collapsed and died while working out in the campus gym.

The deaths are among hundreds of adverse reactions reported by women who took the contraceptives between 2007 and earlier this year.

If you are taking the pills, you should have a conversation with your doctor.

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