FDA Urged to Put Stronger Warning Labels on New Generation Birth Control Pills

Two advisory committees with the US Food and Drug Administration have recommended that the health agency should push for stronger warning labels on the new generations of birth control pills.

The advisory committees voted 15-11 that the benefits obtained from the new pills outweighed the risks but said that the current labels were too mild and voted 21-5 for stronger warnings to be displayed on the warning labels.

The FDA had constituted the committees after a number of studies should that new generation of birth control pills such as Yaz posed a number of serious health problems for women including the formation of life threatening blood clots. While the FDA is not bound by the recommendations of the advisory committees, the health agency usually accepts them.

A number of women's health groups expressed their disappointment at the suggestions of the advisory committee and instead want the FDA to remove the pills from the market. "These advisers told the FDA that preventing pregnancy is worth an increased risk of blood clots. We believe that women have a good range of safer contraceptive choices that don't put them at increased risk of life-threatening complications", National Women's Health Network's Cynthia Pearson said.

Source: Medindia