Study, 2008
Is YAZ birth control safe and does it help PMDD?
YAZ is a birth control pill approved to prevent pregnancy, treat PMDD, and treat moderate acne. Large studies found it is safe with no increased risk of serious blood complications compared to other birth control pills.
What they did
Describes YAZ, a birth control pill containing drospirenone 3 mg and ethinyl estradiol 20 micrograms, taken for 24 days followed by 4 days without hormones. Reports that two large studies evaluated its safety.
What they found
YAZ provides effective contraception and has a good safety profile. Large studies found no increased risk of high potassium levels or blood clots compared to other birth control pills. YAZ is approved for three uses: contraception, treatment of PMDD in women who want birth control, and treatment of moderate acne in women age 14 and older.
What it means for you
Women with PMDD who need birth control may be able to use YAZ, which could reduce both pregnancy risk and PMDD symptoms. Women with moderate acne who want contraception can also try YAZ. The pill has been studied in large groups and found to be safe. One limitation is the abstract does not report how much YAZ actually reduces PMDD symptoms, only that it is approved for this use.
3 mg
Drospirenone dose in YAZ
20 micrograms
Ethinyl estradiol dose in YAZ
24/4
Days of active pills followed by hormone-free days
About the study
- Original title
- YAZ and the novel progestin drospirenone
- Authors
- Mishell DR Jr
- Journal
- The Journal of reproductive medicine
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- YAZ birth control pill (drospirenone 3 mg with ethinyl estradiol 20 micrograms, 24 days active followed by 4 days off)
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18980044/
Topics
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