Product News and Recalls

Women taking risks with black market birth control

Missouri television station KSDK cites a new study by the American Journal of Public Health, which says that more Latinas are crossing the border into Mexico for birth control pills. The study also found that undocumented immigrants are buying birth control on the black market.

Birth control is cheaper and more readily accessible in Mexico, where it’s sold over the counter.

The report quotes Dr. Jorge Galdamez of the San Ysidro Health Center as saying those women are taking a huge health risk, because the wrong form of birth control can lead to an increased risk of heart disease or stroke.

“These medications are not necessarily safe. They need to be discussed with a primary care doctor or a physician because they come with their own side effects and they come with their own interactions and they might not be the right medication for the patient,” Dr. Galdamez says.

A stroke risk is higher with some types of birth control. For example, several studies show that Beyaz, Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, and other birth control pills containing the compound drospirenone are more likely to cause a stroke – as well as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism — than other birth control drugs. Talk to your doctor, of course, before making changes to your medications.

If you experienced a blood clot while on Beyaz or another drospirenone-containing birth control, contact Lopez McHugh for a free consultation.

See the report here: https://www.ksdk.com/news/article/313585/9/Study-Women-buying-birth-control-on-the-black-market