The birth control pill Yasmin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001. Five years later, a similar pill, Yaz, was also approved by the agency. A generic version of Yasmin known as Ocella was approved in 2008.

Yaz and Yasmin both contain a combination of the hormones drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Yaz contains a lower dose of drospirenone—2.0mg compared to 3.0mg for Yasmin—but is taken for a slightly longer cycle than Yasmin.

While Yaz is prescribed for a 24 day active cycle, Yasmin pills containing the hormones in the birth control pills are only taken for a duration of 21 days. After this time has elapsed, patients will either take pills containing an inactive ingredient for seven days or take no pills at all before resuming their contraceptive cycle. Yaz pills containing an inactive ingredient are taken for a duration of four days.

Although both Yaz and Yasmin are prescribed for contraception, some doctors may prescribe Yaz in order to treat symptoms of acne or PMS at the same time. However, in 2008 the FDA warned Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz, about a “false and misleading” ad campaign for Yaz, which the agency said improperly promoted Yaz as a treatment for acne or PMS symptoms, neither of which it is approved to treat. The FDA’s warning also faulted Bayer for downplaying the side effects risk of Yaz while overstating its effectiveness.

Yaz and Yasmin have both been associated with a number of serious side effects, including blood clots, heart attack, stroke, gallbladder disease and kidney injury. Hundreds of women who were injured after taking these birth control pills have filed lawsuits against Bayer, alleging that the company failed to properly warn about the dangers associated with these birth control pills.