To think the pill is quite safe for most women to take?

[Fairylea]

Or am I being massively naive?

I'm 36, don't smoke, don't drink, no family history of blood clots. Reasonably healthy except for underactive thyroid and low blood pressure.

I've been on the pill (Yasmin) on and off since I was 15 (went on it initially for heavy periods). I've had two breaks for two children, both of which took a long while to conceive, youngest child is 4 so I've been on it continually again for the last 4 years.

I keep seeing scare stories being posted about at the moment saying that the risk of a serious blood clot is much higher than people thought and people should stop taking these pills.

I know there is a small risk but given my own health etc I assumed it was very low risk. Its now really frightened me and I'm wondering if other people would be worried too or whether I'm being over anxious.

I really don't want to have an implant or coil- especially when the pill suits me so well otherwise. Sterilisation is an option but it just seems too final at this point. Not a big fan of condoms but this would be the only thing I could switch to really, if taking the pill is a real issue.

I was surprised talking amongst my friends that I was pretty much alone in taking the pill! I assumed it would be the "go to" contraception for most women. It used to be when I was younger.

Confused!

I am 45 and still on Yasmin (it's Lucette now, nhs cheapo version, same as Yasmin)

Have been taking it since I was 20, with only 2 year break for having babies.

Every year they check my weight/lifestyle etc, and say it is safe for me to continue taking it as I don't smoke and am not (too) fat and have low bp.

It's supposed to be a very light pill.

Am contemplating the coil, but worried it might hurt and/or make me bleed for weeks!

I really hope it's safe, if not.....

Not sure how much longer they'll let me have it for. My mum had my brother at 48, so wanna be careful!

This may be an incredibly stupid question but the advice seems to be to switch to an implant or injection - isn't this just putting the same hormones in a different way? Wouldn't the risks be the same? no, these are progesterone only methods where as the combined pill such as Yasmin has oestrogen in it as well. It's the oestrogen bit in Yasmin which slightly increases the risk of blood clots/stroke etc, but as PP has said the risks of blood clots with Yasmin are less than those in pregnancy. If you switched to a different combined pill such as microgynon, it has a lower risk of blood clots than Yasmin which is a slightly higher risk one. So, if you want to stay on the combined pill, unless you've got a good reason to specifically be on Yasmin it would be worth switching to one of the lower risk ones.

Obviously you should discuss this with your own dr who has all the information with which to advise you, but your thread title is correct. However it's a case of knowing which women don't fall into the most (women the pill is safe for) category and why.

baby what about the mini pill?
Same ingredient As implant and the coil.