Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to birth control.
Yaz is an oral birth control medication manufactured by Bayer. The drug combines two different hormones and is taken daily.
But is Yaz proven to be effective for birth control, and if so, how effective? How does the drug compare to other popular birth control meds? Does it cause any side effects? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Yaz?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the active ingredients in Yaz to give our take on whether or not the drug is likely to be effective for preventing pregnancy, and whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll also compare its efficacy to other birth control methods, discuss the risk of side effects, and feature Yaz patient reviews and ratings.
Is Yaz Proven to Work?
Drospirenone at a dose of 3 milligrams (mg) and ethinyl estradiol at a dose of 0.02 mg are the two active ingredients in Yaz birth control.
This combination has been studied in clinical trials.
A 2003 medical review analyzed the efficacy of these two ingredients as contraceptives.
The study authors concluded that the combination is “highly effective at preventing pregnancy” because it was shown to cause an average of less than one accidental pregnancy over 100 years of use.
A more recent medical review published in the Women’s Health journal reported similar results. The drug was found to be highly effective for preventing pregnancy.
Ethinyl estradiol is a type of estrogen, and drospirenone is chemically similar to the hormone progesterone.
There are several ways these two drug ingredients are effective in decreasing pregnancy rates, but the main one is their inhibition of luteinizing hormone, which then inhibits ovulation.
There are two inactive ingredients in this drug that we consider to be questionable from a health perspective.
Talc was shown to be associated with increased risk of stomach cancer in a 2019 medical review.
Titanium dioxide is a colorant which is banned in the EU for use as a food additive due to concerns about its ability to damage DNA, as we documented in our Amberen reviews article on another product containing this ingredient.
Overall, we consider Yaz birth control likely to be effective for preventing pregnancy, which is unsurprising given that the medication is approved by the FDA for that indication.
Yaz vs. Other Contraceptives
We consider Yaz likely to have similar efficacy to other oral birth control methods.
Oral, hormonal birth control drugs have similar mechanisms of action, and FDA approval of this drug implies similar effectiveness to other oral contraceptives.
A medical review on the effectiveness of different types of birth control reports that users of oral contraceptives can expect a failure rate of 0.3% with perfect use and 8% with typical use.
This discrepancy between the effectiveness with perfect use and typical use is why oral contraceptives are not the most effective birth control method.
Human error causes people to forget to take their medications at least some of the time, which dramatically increases pregnancy risk.
Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) birth control methods are significantly more effective than oral drugs according to clinical studies.
As we documented in our Vienva birth control reviews article, LARC devices are clinically shown to be around 20x more effective than oral birth control.
This suggests that women who wish to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy as much as possible should speak with their doctor about LARC devices rather than Yaz.
Real People Try Yaz
A YouTube creator named Elisabeth Lanelle discusses her experience using Yaz:
A YouTube creator named “thisisAmy” discusses her experience on Yaz:
Does Yaz Cause Side Effects?
Yaz birth control does cause side effects in some patients.
Here are some of the side effects listed by the manufacturer as “frequent:” depressive mood, migraine, nausea, breast pain, vaginal discharge, fungal infection.
A meta-study published in the Advances in Therapy journal analyzed side effect rates from real Yaz patients.
The three most commonly reported side effects were nausea (2.6% of patients), breast pain (2.3%) and breast swelling (1.3%).
12.9% of patients overall reported side effects, which is relatively low for a hormonal medication.
A CBC News report found that Yaz and another birth control medication were suspected in the deaths of 23 Canadians:
Why Was Yaz Sued?
The manufacturer of Yaz has been sued in relation to potential side effects of the drug.
According to Drugwatch, a shocking 19,000 or more lawsuits have been filed by women who claim to have suffered side effects from Yaz and Yasmin.
The plaintiffs allege that Yaz caused blood clots, gallbladder issues, heart attacks and strokes among other health issues.
While these claims are certainly concerning, we haven’t come across any clinical data suggesting that Yaz is more dangerous than other forms of oral, hormonal birth control.
The safety study we cited in the side effect section did not report any severe adverse effects or death, and 1,921 women were included in the study.
Is the Generic Version Cheaper?
We typically recommend that patients speak with their doctor about the generic form of medications rather than brand-name versions.
A 2019 meta-study analyzed data from over three million patients and concluded that generic drugs are just as effective as brand-name drugs, but they’re often considerably cheaper.
At the time of updating this article, the generic version of Yaz is available on Cost Plus Drugs for only $12.45 for a month’s supply.
The brand-name version of Yaz currently costs around $60 according to GoodRx.
Patients Rate Yaz
Drugs.com is a website that allows prescription medication patients to rate and review the drugs they're taking.
We cannot verify the accuracy or authenticity of any reviews on this site.
At the time of updating this article, Yaz has been reviewed over 900 times on Drugs.com, with an average review rating of 5.1 out of 10 for birth control.
A top positive review comes from a user named “Ryry” who gave the drug a 10/10 rating:
“I don't have angry mood swings when I take Yaz. My skin gets insanely clear when I take Yaz. My hair grows faster and thicker when I take Yaz (compared to Lo lo esterin). My sex drive is extremely high when I am on Yaz.”
A top negative review is written by a user named “...” who gave the drug a 1/10 rating:
“Please be careful with this pill it has ruined my life I was on it for just over a week and it has caused me to have a psychotic break I have never had issues with mental health just a little anxiety but nothing I needed help for it’s just common things like crowds did I say the wrong thing in that conversation a so on but now I am having intrusive thoughts more panic attacks then I can count and I am the lowest I have ever felt In my life I have gone from a happy loving person looking forward to her wedding in 10 weeks to someone who doesn’t even know who I am anymore”
Can Yaz Treat Acne?
Yaz is approved by the FDA for the treatment of acne in girls at least 14 years old if they are also seeking a birth control pill.
For those considering Yaz as a contraceptive, its acne reduction effects can be seen as a potential secondary benefit.
A clinical trial published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal found that Yaz reduced acne by over 46% after 168 days.
The number of Yaz users reporting “clear” skin (suggesting no acne) increased by 300% compared to the start of the trial.
A 2011 medical review reported similar results: Yaz was highly effective for the treatment of acne. The medical costs related to acne treatment decreased by 38% in the women surveyed in this study.
Using Yaz to treat acne alone would be considered an “off-label” use of the drug, but we consider Yaz likely to be effective for reducing acne lesions, which may make this drug more favorable than other oral birth control options for patients seeking both birth control and acne treatment.
