The Drospirenone Debate: Evaluating Risk Management Responses to the New Generation of Contraceptive Pills

• In Event: 192 - Regular Session. Risk

Abstract

The fourth and most recent generation of hormones used in oral contraceptives has stirred a significant amount of debate regarding the safety of these compounds. Most notably, drospirenone, a new type of synthetic hormone used in widely-used oral contraceptives such as Yaz and Yasmin, has been claimed to increase the risk of blood clots when compared to the previous generations of pills. North American governmental regulatory bodies have been actively investigating the serious health risks posed to women using pills containing drospirenone. Such institutions along with most medical associations have concluded that the risk posed by the new contraceptive technologies might be greater than that of the previous ones. However, the risk has not been considered not high enough to require pulling the technology off the market. The risk models used by scientific and medical communities are influenced by complex cultural and social factors. I use this recent controversy to provide a critique of these models. More specifically, I look at the risk discourses used by drug regulation bodies and medical associations in the U.S. and Canada. This paper argues that the risk models used to evaluate the safety of new generation contraceptives are heavily influenced by gendered assumptions about pregnancy and women's bodies. In addition, the professional risk/benefit evaluation does not take into consideration the importance of lifestyle marketing aspects as well as non-health related side-effects that influence consumer decisions.

Author

• Alina Geampana, McGill University