birth control pulmonary embolism Archives - Page 2 of 2

Fatal Pulmonary Embolism with No Warning Signs

Published on June 6, 2016

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As a recent 23 year old college graduate, our daughter was entering into an exciting new phase in her life, when it was tragically cut short by a pulmonary embolism caused by her birth control pill.

In April 2013, Alex graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in communications and writing. At the beginning of that year she had entered into a relationship. So, during her Spring Break visit to her family home in Houston, she and her mother visited a doctor where she was prescribed Lutera for birth control. She seemed to feel well on it and never complained of any alarming symptoms to her mother or me. Following graduation she found work with an oil and gas marketing company in Pittsburgh and decided to stay up there, moving into a house with several other young women.

On the afternoon of October 30^th of 2013, whilst waiting for the elevator with a co-worker, she suddenly collapsed. The co-worker called an ambulance and she was taken to St. Clair hospital, the closest facility. Her co-worker said that she was having shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart palpitations before she collapsed. During the drive there, the EMT called us in Houston and advised that our daughter had had some sort of seizure and was being taken to hospital. Her co-worker told us not to worry too much as it seemed to be an epileptic fit or similar and that she’d be fine.

About one hour after the first call we received a call from the emergency room doctor who advised that, if at all possible, we should get up to Pittsburgh STAT. By this time her boyfriend and a good friend of ours had arrived at the hospital, so we were able to get regular updates as we rushed to the airport. The main issue seemed to be that they wanted to life-flight her to the main hospital campus, but that it was proving difficult to stabilize her. A CT scan had confirmed a pulmonary embolism in her lung. We arrived in Pittsburgh approximately six-and-a-half hours after the first call, but she had died two hours before our arrival.

In talking with her boyfriend he told us that everything had been fine, although on the morning of her death she’d mentioned that her ‘butt’ felt like it had a pulled muscle. In addition, Alex had eaten dinner with our friend the night before, and had apparently mentioned that she felt tired. But there were really very few warning signs that could have alerted her or us that something was wrong leading up to her death.

This sudden loss has devastated us, forever changing our lives. It’s vital that all women who consider birth control of any sort should be aware of the risks, particularly those arising from the use of hormonal-based contraceptives. There are too many tragedies like that of Alex’s.

Real Risk Study: Birth Control and Blood Clots

Lucine Health Sciences and Hormones Matter are conducting research to investigate the relationship between hormonal birth control and blood clots. If you or a loved one have suffered from a blood clot while using hormonal birth control, please consider participating. We are also looking for participants who have been using hormonal birth control for at least one year and have NOT had a blood clot, as well as women who have NEVER used hormonal birth control. For more information or to participate, click here.

Blood Clots With Hormonal Contraception

by Philippa Bridge-Cook, PhD

Published on January 27, 2016

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blood clots with hormonal contraceptives

Over 80 percent of American women use hormonal contraception at some point in their lives. Many women who have taken birth control pills, or used other hormonally-based birth control methods such as implants, patches, vaginal rings, and hormone-emitting IUDs are probably familiar with the common side effects like fatigue, loss of libido, mood effects, headaches and breast pain. However, many women may not be aware that taking almost any form of hormonal contraception increases their risk of developing blood clots, a condition that can range in severity from asymptomatic to fatal.

The risk of developing a blood clot varies depending on the type of hormonal birth control used. One might assume that the newer methods would be safer, but in fact, they are more dangerous. The newer birth control pills (formulations containing drospirenone, desogestrel, gestodene and dienogest) confer a higher risk of blood clots than older formulations (containing norethindrone acetate or levonorgestrel, as well as the newer norgestimate). And the risk from patches and vaginal rings are the highest of all. It seems that regulatory agencies are willing to lower safety for the sake of user convenience, something that most women using hormonal contraception probably would not agree with, if they knew they were being put at risk.

The overall risk is considered low, with about 1 in 10,000 reproductive age women per year developing a blood clot. However, the older birth control pills increase the risk by about four-fold, and the newer birth control pills by five to seven-fold compared to non-users of hormonal contraception. There has been a substantial increase in the incidence of blood clots for the period of 2001 to 2009, compared to the years prior, likely because of the increase in use of newer hormonal birth control pills and the vaginal ring (Nuvaring). And because approximately 20 million American women use hormonal contraception, these relatively small risks translate into significant numbers of cases each year.

Every woman who is using hormonal contraception deserves to know accurately what the risks are, in order to make an informed choice of method of contraception, yet these risks are not often being communicated by doctors. And considering that taking any form of hormonal birth control at all raises the risk of developing a blood clot, every woman on hormonal contraception should know what the warning signs are, and seek medical help if they experience those signs or symptoms. Knowing these warning signs could save your life. Described below are signs of blood clots in various locations in the body.

Blood Clots In Legs, Arms, and Lungs

Blood clots can develop in any vein but most commonly develop in the leg, and sometimes in the arm. This type of blood clot is called a venous thromboembolism (VTE). These clots can break off from the spot where they initially form in the body, and travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which is fatal in about 10 percent of cases within the first hour, and 30 percent of cases subsequently. Sometimes the VTE leading to the pulmonary embolism was asymptomatic or undiagnosed, and PE is the first indication of the presence of a blood clot. Even pulmonary embolism is often misdiagnosed at first.

Signs of VTE include pain or tenderness only in one leg or arm, swelling and/or red or blue discoloration of the affected limb or an area of the limb, and the leg or arm may be warm to the touch. Signs of a PE include sudden shortness of breath, chest pain that is sharp or stabbing and may get worse with deep breathing, rapid heartbeat, and cough (sometimes with bloody mucous). For information about how VTE and PE are diagnosed, see How is DVT Diagnosed? and How is PE Diagnosed?.

Blood Clots In the Veins of the Brain

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), which is a type of stroke, is caused by blood clots in the veins of the brain. This condition is even more under recognized than DVT and PE, and comprises about one percent of all strokes. Using oral contraceptives has been shown to increase the risk of CVT up to 22-fold. This study is on the older side, performed before more widespread use of newer birth control pills, so the risk is likely even higher. In the past, this condition was fatal much more often, but now the diagnosis has been improving, and the mortality in various studies ranges from 5 to 30 percent. About 15 percent of patients who survive can have continued neurological impairment. CVT can be diagnosed using a combination of clinical signs and symptoms, and imaging such as MRI.

Signs and symptoms of CVT can vary depending on where the clot is in the brain. Headache is a common symptom, sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Seizures can also occur. In addition, neurological problems can be present, such as: paralysis or weakness on one side of the body, decreased vision on one side, difficulty speaking, or dizziness.

Blood Clots In Arteries

Like in veins, blood clots can form in almost any artery in the body. And similar to venous blood clots, clots that initially formed in one artery can break off and travel to arteries within almost any organ in the body. A blood clot in an artery in the brain causes a stroke (just like a blood clot in a vein in the brain), and a blood clot in an artery in the heart causes a heart attack. Hormonal contraception also increases the risk of these types of blood clots. In some cases larger strokes are preceded by smaller strokes, called transient ischemic attacks (TIA)—this occurs when a blood vessel is blocked temporarily by a blood clot. The incidence of stroke has increased significantly, especially in young people, from 1995 to 2008.

Symptoms of strokes caused by a blood clot in an artery are similar to those described above for CVT. Early treatment of a stroke results in significantly better outcomes; therefore the American Heart and Stroke Association has developed the following acronym to help people recognize the early warning signs: F.A.S.T.

F: Face drooping
A: Arm weakness
S: Speech difficulty
T: Time to call 911.

Warning signs of a heart attack in women include:

Chest pain—can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Nausea, light-headedness, or breaking out in a cold sweat.

It should be noted, that women may experience the signs of a heart attack differently than men and diagnosing heart attacks in women is sometimes more complicated requiring great persistence on the part of the patient and the family. An example of this can be found here.

Other Factors That Increase Risk

An individual’s risk of getting a blood clot depends on a combination of genetic factors, acquired conditions, and environmental/lifestyle factors. Although many women may be familiar with the oft-cited risk factors of being overweight, smoking, and being over age 35, many women might be surprised to realize that some of the seemingly innocuous factors described below, or undiagnosed genetic conditions, can combine to increase the risk substantially.

Genetic Factors

Certain inherited conditions, known as inherited thrombophilias, can increase the risk of developing a blood clot. Many people with these inherited conditions have no signs or symptoms of a blood clotting disorder until an environmental or acquired risk factor or factors comes into the picture (such as a hormonal contraceptive), at which point their risk of developing a blood clot increases substantially. These inherited thrombophilias include antithrombin deficiency, protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, Prothrombin (factor II) mutation, factor V Leiden mutation and hyperhomocysteinemia (which can be caused by MTHFR mutation). The effect of the increased risks from hormonal contraceptives and inherited thrombophilias is synergistic, meaning the risk is much larger than the risk of the two added together; for example, in hormonal contraceptive users carrying a factor V Leiden mutation, the risk of a blood clot is increased 35 fold. Inherited thrombophilias can be detected by genetic testing, but are not routinely screened for. More information about inherited thrombophilias can be found on the National Blood Clot Alliance website.

Acquired Conditions

The acquired condition that is most commonly associated with an increased risk for blood clotting is an autoimmune condition called anti-phospholipid syndrome (and less commonly anti-cardiolipin antibodies, or anti-B2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies). These antibodies can occur on their own, in the absence of other autoimmune diseases, or they can occur secondary to autoimmune diseases such as lupus. These conditions can cause other symptoms in addition to blood clots, such as miscarriage and migraine. Cancer, especially metastatic cancer, is also a recognized risk factor for thrombosis. Hyperhomocysteinemia can also be an acquired condition due to nutritional deficiencies, some chronic illnesses, and medications. Chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease also increases the risk of blood clots.

Environmental or Lifestyle Factors

Certain lifestyle factors are also known to increase the risk of blood clots, including:

Obesity
Immobility–prolonged inactivity, for example, bed rest, or taking long trips by plan or car
Smoking
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil
Other medications such as certain psychiatric drugs
Intense exercise
Certain types of surgery
Pregnancy
Hormonal contraceptives

The risk of developing a blood clot also increases with increasing age.

It must be stressed that one does not need to have a genetic or acquired risk factor to develop a blood clot, or even to have a fatal blood clot. Following are just a few of many stories of young, healthy women who were seriously affected or died from blood clots while on hormonal contraception.

These women unfortunately did not realize that their choice of birth control was putting them at increased risk. For these women, knowing that they were at increased risk, and knowing the warning signs of a blood clot, could have saved their lives. That is why we are urging all women to become aware of these warning signs, investigate your personal risk, make smart, informed choices of birth control methods, and seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing signs of a blood clot.

In Memory

This article was inspired by and written in memory of Karen Langhart, who tragically took her own life four years after her young, healthy, vibrant daughter Erika, died suddenly from bilateral massive pulmonary embolisms caused by the Nuvaring. Since Erika’s death, Karen had worked tirelessly to ensure that other families would not suffer the tragedy that hers did.

Hormones Matter will be covering this important topic in more detail in the coming months, so please follow this website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter at and @HormonesMatter. If you have experience with contraceptive induced blood clots and would like to contribute a personal story or research article, please consider writing for Hormones Matter.

Image by starline on Freepik

Five Half-truths of Hormonal Contraceptives – The Pill, Patch and Ring

by Joe Malone

Published on September 24, 2015

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Brittany Malone - Nuvaring precipitated fatal blood clot

Have you ever wondered if the pharmaceutical companies and doctors are telling you the whole truth about the risks for side effects with the drugs they sell or prescribe? Do the side effect warnings seen in advertisements or on prescription inserts make any sense to you? If you are like me, probably not. In fact, if you’re like me you probably don’t give side effects much thought at all. Or at least I didn’t, until my daughter suffered from a serious side effect of a common medication, a medication millions of women take every day for years. My daughter died last year from hormonal contraceptive induced blood clots. You can read her story here: Brittany Malone. Now, I have made it my mission to educate other women and families about the very real risks associated with hormonal contraceptives and the incredible lack of data and information available to women to make an informed choice.

Playing Fast and Loose with the Numbers: Hormonal Contraception Carries Real Risks

For too long, the pharmaceutical industry and most likely your doctor, have been telling you what they want you to know about birth control drugs; instead of educating you with the information that you need to know to help you choose the birth control method that works best for you.

The communication of risk and benefit is a core component of health care counseling and should begin with the most fundamental principles of medicine: “First, do no harm.” I am not sure that is what is happening now. It didn’t with our daughter and many of the women and families we have met who have suffered similar tragedies.

What women really need to know is how a particular contraceptive drug or method compares to other types of contraception in terms of safety and effectiveness. In more personal terms, you need to know what the chances are that a particular contraceptive formulation or device will adversely affect your health. What I have learned since my daughter’s death is that this information is not easy to come by. In fact, it either doesn’t exist entirely or the manner in which it is presented is so convoluted that it is indecipherable and utterly useless.

The terms used by pharmaceutical companies as well as some leading contraception experts to describe these risks are either gross simplifications of the actual risk to life, or are enveloped in complex statistical and/or medical jargon that the lay person and even the physicians prescribing these meds cannot understand.

Here is what I mean. Below is a list of the most common half-truths regarding hormonal contraceptives and the risk for deadly blood clots.

Half-truth # 1: Blood Clots with Combined Hormonal Contraceptives are Rare

The increased risk of developing a dangerous blood clot when using combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) is a well-recognized, serious and potentially fatal adverse event associated with these medicines. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal (abstract) says there are even higher rates of blood clots than previously thought see Fresh Evidence Confirms Links between Newer Contraceptive Pills and Higher Risk of Venous Thromboembolism.[1] Unfortunately, most patients are unaware of this potential risk and if they are aware, they have no idea that a blood clot “cardiovascular event” can lead to their death. More studies can be found here on Birth Control Safety. Any time a drug is prescribed that is proven to cause death, even if it is associated with a small percentage of the users, the provider is responsible for explaining the risks factually, and in terms a lay person can understand. Consider these data:

On average, 307 women die in the U.S. every year due to a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) as a direct result of the use of the pill, patch or ring – a combined hormonal contraceptive.
Up to 2,600 women in the U.S. will develop a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the Lung) as a result of the pill, patch or ring. Pulmonary emboli are potentially catastrophic and can lead to death.
Up to 7,700 non-fatal cases of deadly blood clots in the U.S. occur each year, due to the effects of the pill, patch or ring.

If you are like most doctors and all patients, you will be shocked to learn how many women are harmed annually by hormonal contraceptives.

For a full report, see Birth Control Safety. This report compares the estimated impact of blood clots across 2nd, 3rd and 4th Generation Combination Hormonal Contraceptives.

Unfortunately, most doctors leave their patients believing that combined hormonal contraceptives (the pill, patch and ring) are safe. As you can see from the data stated above, these drugs are safe for some people and very dangerous for others.

Half-truth #2: Only Smokers and Women Over 35 are at Risk for Blood Clots

The reality is that the estrogenic effects of combine hormonal contraceptives increase the risk of a potentially life threatening blood clot (venous thromoboembolism or VTE) by between 400% – 700% for ALL women at any age including those that don’t smoke and those that do smoke.[2] (Comparing Annual VTE Impact across 2nd-4th Generation CHC’s in the U.S. 2013). The risk of smoking increases that risk by 40% compared with non-smokers [3]. That means, the increased risk of blood clots effects all users by 400-700% and the risk associated with smokers and for women over the age of 35 is even higher. This form of warning is misleading as many who read this think, “I don’t smoke and I’m under the age of 35, so this cardiovascular risk doesn’t apply to me. I’m safe to use it.” Even worse, this false sense of security is proven to mask the early warning signals of a potentially deadly blood clot.

The following is included as a “black box” warning in the most recent version (2013) of the NuvaRing patient information and reads as follows:

“Who should not use the NuvaRing?” Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects when you use combination oral contraceptives. This risk increases even more if you are over age 35 and if you smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day. Women who use combination hormonal contraceptives, including NuvaRing®, are strongly advised not to smoke.”

This statement infers that if you are a non-smoker and under the age of 35, that you should be able to safely use the NuvaRing. It also infers that if you are a smoker, even though you need to be concerned, you don’t need to be too concerned unless you smoke 15 cigarettes a day AND are over 35. This is misleading; intentionally misleading, I think.

In the same 2013 NuvaRing package insert, under the heading “What is the most important information I should know about the NuvaRing? Comes the answer:

“Do not use the NuvaRing if you smoke cigarettes AND are over 35 years of age. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects (heart and blood vessel problems) from combination hormonal contraceptives (CHC’s), Including death from heart attack, blood clots or stroke. The risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.”

Again, I think this statement falsely misleads women who do not smoke about their risks for blood clots. A more appropriate warning label might say something like this:

The estrogenic effects of combined hormonal contraceptives increase the risk of potentially life threatening blood clots by between 400% – 700%.

Hormonal Contraceptive Risk Counseling Misses Real Risks

Below are three videos that exemplify the lack of appreciation physician give to the real risks of blood clots with hormonal contraceptives. These are videos used to train physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners.

The Contraceptive Counseling Training Video below is a perfect example of how doctors and nurses are being taught to promote the effectiveness and safety of the pill, patch and ring without counseling women on the fact that these drugs to cause great harm, even death to some users.

Contraceptive Counseling Training Video

I find it very interesting that time is taken to review the side effects of spotting, bloating, nausea and breast tenderness, but the discussion of the dangerous side effects like blood clots, strokes, heart attacks which can lead to death don’t even come up. This has to change. Given the reoccurring annual loss of life attributed to these drugs, the true risks and early wanting signals of a dangerous blood clot need to be reviewed and thoroughly understood.

This next video is a great example of a typical visit with a nurse practitioner can unfold with zero safety information being shared relative to the increased risk of blood clots. Even worse, the question is asked “do you smoke at all,” and when the patient says I used to smoke and the nurse responds with the doctor’s advised you that you shouldn’t smoke while using the pill, the patient responds with yes. This is a great example of how the pharmaceutical companies have brainwashed doctors and nurses to highlight the risks associated with smoking, which leave a non-smoking patient to believe they are not at all exposed to any increased risk of developing a potentially catastrophic blood clot.

Brenda Oral Contraceptive Pill Counseling

In this final video, a patient shares that she smokes 10-15 cigarettes a day and the recommendation of the doctor/nurse is as follows “I’ve reviewed your family history and is it quite safe for you to take the pill. What I suggest is that you take the combined oral contraceptive pill. This is an example of the clinical issues that are putting our loved ones and friends’ lives at risk. Given that the increased risk of blood clots with CHC’s is well recognized, serious and potentially fatal, this practice of uninformed counseling is dangerous and needs to change before more women are killed.

A Contraception Consultation in Pharmacy

In each of these practitioner training videos, the real risks for blood clots associated with hormonal contraceptives is minimized. Women are not given the data needed to make informed decisions. As a result, when these risks turn to reality, they often go unrecognized. There are hundreds of stories of young women that were perfectly healthy and didn’t smoke that died suddenly from massive blood clots linked to the pill, patch and the ring. Birth Control Safety: Women’s Stories.

Half-truth # 3: All Hormonal Birth Control Methods are Equally Safe

Evidence confirms that newer contraceptive drugs have a higher risk of blood clots. In fact, the 3rd and 4th generation contraceptives (Yasmin, Yaz, Ocella, NuvaRing etc.) increase the overall risk by an additional 200% – 300%, above and beyond the risk for blood clots associated with earlier formulations. I think women should know this before choosing a method of contraception. I think physicians should make this information very clear to their patients. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is happening. Most patients and physicians alike do not understand the different risk profiles that each formulation of hormonal contraceptive carries. Prescribers especially should be aware and consider how the risk of blood clot with a particular combined hormonal contraceptives compares with other methods (see table 1) and help their patients make informed decisions. Currently available data provides compelling evidence that both 3rd and 4th Generation CHCs have higher risk of venous thromboembolism (see table 1) than the older 2nd Generation drugs, despite attempts to develop safer contraceptives for women.

Table 1. Risk for Blood Clots with Different Hormonal Contraceptives

Half-truth # 4: Blood Clots are more Common During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Pharmaceutical companies maintain the enormous market for hormonal contraceptives by telling doctor’s and women that it’s safer to use the pill, patch or ring than it is to get pregnant. This is a false comparison and here’s why. These dangers are of an unnatural substance interfering with body processes. Pregnancy however is a natural process, which the body is prepared to deal with. The pill, patch or eing actually introduce cardiovascular disease (blood clot) into your body (Confessions of a Medical Heretic, p29)[4]. Women who have already made the decision to use contraception have taken pregnancy off the table, so the real question is, how does the pill, patch and the ring compare to other forms of contraception in terms of both safety and effectiveness?

Women in the U.S. have on average of 2 births in their lifetime. The risk of these two period of life, pregnancy and postpartum periods, that total 30 months of time, cannot be compared to the risk that a women experiences while using a combined hormonal contraceptive continuous over the course of their child bearing years which may be as long as 25 years. This type of comparison (that the risk of a blood clot or other complication is many times greater during pregnancy), defies both logic and science. Comparisons of contraceptives should be between the various methods of birth control as this helps women make the most informed decision of which method of birth control works best for them. They have already made the decision to control birth (not get pregnant), so there is no need to compare these drugs to pregnancy.

Pregnant women often pay more attention to their bodies because they are concerned about their own health and the health and safety of their unborn child. Medical professionals more closely monitor pregnant women than hormonal contraceptive users. The identification of a venous thromboembolism is more likely to occur in a pregnant woman, as she has more frequent contact with the medical community. When a healthy woman is prescribed birth control, there is a “set it and forget it” treatment plan where the health provider may say, “Call me if you have any problems and come back in a year.”

This false comparison of risk of VTE in pregnancy versus the pill, patch and ring creates a false sense of safety with hormonal contraceptives compared to pregnancy. It minimizes the possibility that something terrible could happen while using a combined hormonal contraceptive. This is like warning someone to watch out for the charging elephant but failing to pay attention to the charging buffalo. Yes, an elephant’s foot may be bigger and heavier, but if a buffalo charges you will still have a problem.

The oversimplified and inappropriate presentation of the risk during pregnancy minimizes the increase rate of risk between 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation combined hormonal contraceptives. Newer is not better. In fact, the newer 3rd and 4th generation drugs increase the life threatening risk of blood clots and bring no incremental benefits outside of expanded choice.

Half-truth # 5: Double a Rare Event is Still a Rare Event

Healthcare professionals need to stop using that phrase “Double a rare event is still a rare event” when it comes to women’s lives. This is a statistical view of the mathematics that make up traditional risk management practices that minimizes the very risk of serious side effects, including fatality, associated with these medications. Even if these side effects develop in a small percentage of the users, the patient needs to understand these risks and it is the provider that is responsible for explaining the risks factually and in context that patients can comprehend.

In reality, if we double the rate of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary emboli, the number of related deaths grows from an average of 307 to 614 per year. The number of women impacted by the most dangerous type of blood clot, a pulmonary embolism, which has a 12% mortality rate, grows from an average of 2,560 to 5,120 women annually. Pulmonary embolism survivors are subject to additional treatment, which typically includes anticoagulant medications (blood thinners) and varies in type of treatment and duration based on severity. Some women need immediate emergency treatment, others can be treated as an outpatient. Patients are typically treated for 3-12 months, but some must remain on blood thinners for extended period of time.

As you can imagine, this dismissive, although witty, statement does not attune the health care community to pay serious attention to the possibility that real people will die or be permanently injured. Furthermore, when you multiply a small number by a large number of users the impact of these “rare events” equates to many more deaths than anyone realizes. Rare events DO happen and they happen to real human beings! It is also an insult to the thousands of women (and their families) who have been injured or died particularly when there are much safer and more effective alternatives available

The Bottom Line: Hormonal Contraceptives Carry Significant Risks

FACT – Combination hormonal contraceptives dramatically increase the risk of dangerous blood clots.
FACT – Blood clots (acute thrombotic events) are known to lead to sudden death or lifelong problems.
FACT – Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) are the most dangerous form of thromboembolism which has a 12% mortality rate.
FACT – 20%-25% of pulmonary embolism related deaths present as sudden death (No Warning) [5].
FACT – A woman is 20 times more likely to become pregnant if she uses birth control pills, a patch or a ring than if she uses an IUD or an implant [6].

References

Jick S, Fresh evidence confirms links between newer contraceptive pills and higher risk of venous Thromboembolism BMJ 2015;350:h2422 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h2422 (Published 26 May 2015).
Comparing Annual VTE Impact across 2nd-4th Generation CHC’s in the U.S. 2013 – Birthcontrolsafety.org).
Goldhaber S, The Clot Blog of Medscape.com, VTE risk in women who smoke; http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/801689 last sourced 9-15-2015.
Mendelsohn S, Confessions of a Medical Heretic, Chapter 2, page 28.
Beckman M, Hooper WC, Critchley S, Ortel T. Venous thromboembolism: a public health concern. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(4 Suppl):S495-501.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Frequently Asked Questions FAQ#184 Contraception: Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC): IUD & Implant.

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