Yaz

Yaz is a combined oral contraceptive pill. This means it is a combination of two hormones, drospirenone and ethinylestradiol, which, when taken correctly, should prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Although primarily prescribed as a contraceptive, Yaz can also be prescribed to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms or to regulate severe and unpredictable periods.

Yaz works in a very similar way to most combined contraceptive pills. The hormones in Yaz prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs, so fertilisation cannot take place. They also change the makeup of the lining of your uterus, which makes it both harder for sperm to reach the uterus and for a fertilised egg to embed itself in the uterus.

Yaz is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken properly. This percentage may be decreased if you miss pills, vomit, have severe diarrhoea or start taking another medicine, reducing the pill’s effectiveness.

Yaz is not suitable for everyone. You should always disclose all medical conditions to your doctor, whether you are currently taking medication for them or not.

Yaz may not be suitable for you if you have or have had the following conditions:

• Cardiovascular disease
• High blood pressure
• Blood clotting disorders, a DVT or similar
• Diabetes (with complications)
• Kidney problems or failure
• Liver cancer or disease
• Cancer of the ovaries or other reproductive organs
• Severe migraines

For a full list of conditions which could make Yaz unsuitable for you, check your patient leaflet for more information.

Yaz can interact with certain medications, causing complications, abnormal reactions or reduced effectiveness, so make sure you tell your doctor about any medication you are taking, whether prescribed or herbal.

Yaz contains other ingredients besides hormones, one of which is lactose; do check you are not allergic to any of its ingredients before taking Yaz.

Yaz should not be taken by pregnant women and is not usually recommended to breastfeeding mothers.

Yaz is also not suitable for smokers over the age of 35, as it could increase the risk of a blood clot or thrombosis, like other combined oral contraceptive pills.

Yaz comes in blister strips of 28 pills. Each blister strip contains 24 pale pink pills and 4 white pills. The 24 pink pills are the hormones, and the 4 white pills are 'placebo' pills.

Each of the four rows of seven pills should be marked with the days of the week, to help you keep track. Take the tablets in order, swallowing one whole with water at the same time every day. Yaz pills can be taken with or without food.

Once you have finished a full monthly cycle of the pale pink pills, you should take a white pill daily for four days. During this time, you should have your 'period' as usual. You should still be protected during this time if you have taken all your tablets correctly. After you have taken all four white pills, begin with the next blister pack of pale pink pills. There should be no gap between pale pink and white pills.

If you take Yaz on the first day of your period (day one of your menstrual cycle), you are instantly protected from pregnancy. If you start it later, you should use a condom for the first 7 days. If you are switching from another form of contraception (the IUD, injection, implant or another pill) you should also use a condom throughout the first week of taking Yaz.

If you miss a single pill and realise within 24 hours of the time you were supposed to take it, take it straight away and continue with your pill strip – you should still be protected. If you miss more than one pill or realise more than 24 hours later, consult your patient leaflet for more information.

If you vomit or have severe diarrhoea within several hours of taking your pill, you should also consult your patient information leaflet to find out how to continue with your cycle of pills.

If your acne is caused by hormonal reasons, there is a good chance Yaz will help make your acne better. However, this is not the same for everyone.

Speak to your doctor if acne affects you and you want more information on whether or not Yaz is the right contraceptive pill for you.

Everyone will react differently to Yaz. Some people will find that their periods stop entirely when they are on Yaz. Most people will find that their periods are just a lot more regular, lighter and less painful than usual.

It is also possible to get ‘spotting’ (breakthrough bleeding) in between your periods. This is most common in the first 3 months of using Yaz. Spotting is completely normal and happens because your body is adjusting to its new hormone cycle.

Yaz, like other contraceptive pills, has been known to make periods lighter, more regular and often less painful. This does not necessarily happen for everyone.

The active ingredients in Yaz are 0.020mg ethinylestradiol per pink film-coated tablet and 3mg drospirenone per pink film-coated tablet. The other ingredients in Yaz tablets are maise starch, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate (E470b), hypromellose (E464), talc (E553b), titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide red (E172).

Like all medications, side-effects of Yaz have been reported. Common side effects may include:

• Headaches
• Breast tenderness
• Nausea
• Mood swings
• Changes in weight

Other, more severe side effects are very rare. They can include, but are not limited to:

• Skin disorders
• Insomnia
• Vaginal bleeding
• Fungal infections
• Anaemia
• Blood clots

If you develop or suspect you are developing any of the above, or if there are any unexpected changes to your health, you should immediately contact a healthcare professional. If any of your symptoms indicate an immediate problem (a heart attack or blood clot), do not hesitate to call the emergency services.