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    A Million Birth Control Pills Recalled Again. Could the Pill Get You Pregnant?

    By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Healthy Living – Wed, Feb 1, 2012 5:41 PM EST

    The latest recalled birth control pills.The latest recalled birth control pills.
    It's happened again. Just months after a major mix-up in birth control pill packaging, another alarming recall has been issued.

    On Wednesday, the drug company Pfizer announced the recall of more than 1 million packets of Lo/Ovral-28 (and the generic Norgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol) due to a packaging error.


    Read more: 9 surprising things you should know about birth control

    The problem stems from placebo pills that were possibly misplaced in monthly blister packs. So on days when women thought they were taking active hormones they may have been taking sugar pills. The mistake means that an unknown number of women may be at risk of an unplanned pregnancy.

    A public statement by Pfizer urged "consumers exposed to affected packaging" to "begin using a non-hormonal form of contraception immediately."

    In September, the drug company Qualitest Products failed to live up to its name when it recalled eight different brands of birth control after a similar factory-related packaging issue.

    Two weeks after the recall, a 32-year-old Georgia woman sued the company, claiming she became pregnant because of their mistake.

    More than 50 years after the original birth control pill was introduced, variation and mass production is shaking consumer trust. Better regulation, particularly in factories where birth control pills are packaged, is needed if women are going to continue to rely on the pill for pregnancy prevention.

    In addition to the recent packaging problems cropping up, controversy over other pills is also on the docket.

    Read more: Questions of safety issued for newer birth control pills

    Last month, the birth control pill Yaz and Yasmin came under fire for not providing enough warning about the risk of blood clots. Two recent reports suggest women taking those particular oral contraceptives have higher risks of clotting than those taking other types of pills, according to the Washington Post.

    Women taking the current pill in question should consult with their doctor and check with their local pharmacy to find out whether their pills came from any of the mislabeling factories. The FDA has a list of lot numbers and an emergency medical phone number on its website.

    Oral contraceptives are still the most popular form of birth control worldwide which means drug companies can't put out their products fast enough. But if the two recent recalls are any indication, it's time to slow down long enough to make some improvements.

    Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.

    Related:
    Would you rely on a male birth control pill?
    The high risk of certain birth control pills
    Major birth control recall announced
    How to choose a birth control that's right for you

     
    • BenjaminG
      BenjaminG  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 months ago
      In the UK there is a pill for MEN that make sperm immobile...here in the U.S. we are only working on a pill that stops testosterone production...it must be taking with a test. supplement pill...why? Because it gives big pharm more money when you have to take two pills instead of just one. We need the UK pill...it works better and doesn't effect male hormone levels...it has been 100% effective in the lab too, unlike women's pills
      • lassa_fever
        lassa_fever 3 months ago
        Cant' wait till it comes to the U.S. Wonder how many men would take the pill?
      • MelloKitty
        MelloKitty 3 months ago
        What is the name of this pill?! I'd like to learn more about it.
      • katy*
        katy* 3 months ago
        me too. I agree with you. my husband need those. what is called? please drop me an email about it. Love to know. thanks.
    • Saka_Sandora
      Saka_Sandora  •  Yakima, Washington  •  3 months ago
      The birth control pills arn't always about getting pregnant, some people take it due to their periods. Other times, a woman may not be ready to start a family. Or it may just be that some one has a mental problem and should not get pregnant due to the fact they may not be able to even care for the child properly.
      • Kathleen
        Kathleen 3 months ago
        You are so right! I took them to prevent pregnancy while my husband and I were in Grad school. I had to start taking them again after we had our children, not to prevent pregnancy, but because I had very heavy, very irregular periods.
      • Sheila
        Sheila 3 months ago
        I take bc pills because I want to regulate my period and only have 4 a year. It isn't because I can get pregnant. Two reasons for that. 1) my husband is in Texas and I am in Colorado (military sucks sometimes) and 2) I'm fixed.
      • PSulse
        PSulse 3 months ago
        All Demecrats should be on the Pill then, they are very mental
    • WHIT WALTMAN
      WHIT WALTMAN  •  Tustin, California  •  3 months ago
      This explains why the Hostpital called to recall my kids.
    • Dozer Dan
      Dozer Dan  •  3 months ago
      Oopsey!
      • Smurfette
        Smurfette 3 months ago
        Thanks Chelsea Lately....lol.
    • Ganna
      Ganna  •  3 months ago
      The PILL itself cannot get anybody pregnant. Only sperm can. What an unprofessional headline!
      • Erika
        Erika 3 months ago
        But if you take placebo thinking it's the medication, then have unprotected sex, then yes, you can get pregnant. Therefor the title is very accurate.
      • marty
        marty 3 months ago
        @Erika Yes, but the PILL, as recited in the title of the article, is not the thing getting you pregnant.
      • WHIT WALTMAN
        WHIT WALTMAN 3 months ago
        Dang! That explains alot of things. I guess my Ex was right, then. Oh well. Say, my Avatar thinks your Avatar is cute! He wants to know what she's doing later........
    • gregk
      gregk  •  Columbus, Ohio  •  3 months ago
      To answer the writers question "Could the Pill Get You Pregnant?" Only if they contain sperm and are inserted into the vagina! What a stupid headline!
      • JW
        JW 3 months ago
        Good comment. Displaced blame once again. It's the liberal way.
      • DeborahS
        DeborahS 3 months ago
        My thoughts exactly Gregk!
      • Joel
        Joel 3 months ago
        Like books make you smart.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  3 months ago
      really? The pill isn't 100% effective, never claimed to be,.... same as a condom, get a grip, if ya don't wanna have kids, get fixed! what an attitude! " Yes Honey, you live in this great big house because we sued the company who's BC pill failed and allowed us to have you! Oh we love you now but we really didn't want you then cause if we had we wouldn't have sued." I know maybe the settlement will be " Fine you got knocked up because of our pill,... Abortions for everyone" really? abstinence,.... 100%
    • OBX SUX
      OBX SUX  •  3 months ago
      And don't forget to get your pet spayed or neutered....
    • Elina6663
      Elina6663  •  Garden Grove, California  •  3 months ago
      i love my kid... but ouch man
    • b morgan
      b morgan  •  Nashville, Tennessee  •  3 months ago
      lol that explains why im due with #3 august 27th....
    • Valentine
      Valentine  •  3 months ago
      Unbelievable. Pfiser messes up, and many of the comments posted here actually blame the victim for having sex! Seriously??? Maybe some of you men wouldn't be snickering if your Viagra pill at $10 a pop was a placebo, humiliating you in front of your partner, or even worse, you suffered a stroke because you thought you were taking blood pressure medication when you weren't.
    • Castaway
      Castaway  •  3 months ago
      I wonder how many women got pregnant from this?
    • Gambling man
      Gambling man  •  3 months ago
      My wife Rosie Palm never gets Pregnant.
    • tom
      tom  •  3 months ago
      Just wait till the lawsuits start coming in.
    • Tiffany
      Tiffany  •  Nicholasville, Kentucky  •  3 months ago
      This is why you use two forms of birth control...
    • Athena
      Athena  •  3 months ago
      big pharma is bad, bad, bad, bad... evil
    • OBX SUX
      OBX SUX  •  3 months ago
      I cant believe no one has said "It is Obamas fault" yet !
    • OBX SUX
      OBX SUX  •  3 months ago
      Cats can't take "the pill" can we ?
    • mr
      mr  •  3 months ago
      By the way i have several daughters and I am scared to death that there will be a boy like me that lied to get what they wanted,and they fall for it. but hopefully i have taught them to make the right choice, and remember that they control the situation always.
    • AfflackQuack
      AfflackQuack  •  3 months ago
      Just another case of a mega money pill pusher company that only cares about the bottom line. They spit out pills like it's dandelion seeds all while the side effects are more severe than the symptoms they are supposedly curing. After all the drug ads, I no longer take meds for anything. It's only about the money to these human leeches.
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