1. A Different Kind of Combination Pill
Yaz, like many other birth control pills, is a combination pill. This means that it's made up of two types of hormones: estrogen and progestin. What makes Yaz a bit different from other pills is that it's the only pill with 24 active pills that contain the hormone drospirenone, or drsp for short, and four inactive pills. Yaz stops you from getting pregnant by preventing ovulation so that your body won't release any eggs. In the case that your body does release an egg, Yaz also thickens your cervical mucus, which prevents sperm from reaching the egg.
2. Kick That Case of the Blues
If you suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder, also known as PMDD, the week or two leading up to your period is no walk in the park. The symptoms are like PMS symptoms, but worse. You may experience severe feelings of anxiety, depression, moodiness and irritability which can dramatically affect your daily life. If you have PMDD, talk to your doctor about Yaz as a treatment possibility. The FDA has approved Yaz as the only birth control pill to treat PMDD. It can help relieve those strong symptoms you've been experiencing and help you to feel more positive and functional before your period.
3. Acne and Cramps, Be Gone
Yaz may help you to clear up your skin and relieve your cramps while giving you shorter and milder periods. Like other combination pills, Yaz may reduce your risk of developing breast lumps or cysts, ovarian cysts, tubal pregnancies, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. Taking Yaz for many years actually increases your protection from these types of cancer.
4. Risky Side Effects
One of the hormones found in Yaz, drsp, may increase your potassium levels. Because of this, if you have liver, kidney or adrenal disease, you shouldn't take Yaz. If you smoke, and especially if you're a smoker over the age of 35, you also shouldn't take Yaz. Side effects you may notice when taking Yaz could include headaches, breast tenderness, yeast infections, spotting between periods, nausea or upper respiratory infection. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience any severe side effects.
5. Balance Those Hormones
The way you take Yaz is slightly different from most other birth control pills. You actually take the active pills, which contain hormones, for 24 days, and then you take the inactive pills for only four days. Most combination pills contain 21 days of active pills, followed by seven days of inactive pills. The reason for the increased dosage of active pills is to help even out your hormone levels. Like other oral contraceptives, you need to take Yaz at the same time every day for it to be effective. If you take it properly, Yaz is up to 99 percent effective.
