The contraceptive pill increases your risk of getting a blood clot, as compared to a woman who is not on the pill.

• We know that women who use the pill for birth control have a higher risk of developing blood clots
• Some forms of the contraceptive pill cause a higher risk of clots than others-depending on the type of progesterone.
• If your contraceptive pill contains the following types of progesterone, there is a higher clotting risk : desogestrel, drosperinone, gestodene, & norgestimate.
• Therefore, if possible, it is safer to take a pill containing a lower risk progesterone: levonorgestrel, norgestrel or norethisterone.
• If you smoke whilst taking the pill, your risk of a clot is elevated further.
• In the rare event of a clot, a blood vessel can be blocked, leading to stroke, heart attack , DVT or pulmonary embolism. These conditions may be fatal.
• However, it’s important to remember that your risk of developing a blood clot when taking the pill is still lower than the risk of developing a clot when pregnant.
• Long haul flights can also increase the risk of clotting- women who take the pill should watch for symptoms of a clot in the days and weeks after a flight.

• Symptoms of a clot include the following:
  • Pain or swelling in the leg
  • Sharp chest pain worse on taking a deep breath, unexplained shortness of breath, and/or coughing up blood
  • Numbness or weakness of an arm or leg, or sudden problems with speech or eyesight

If you use the contraceptive pill for birth control and are concerned about the risk of a blood clot, we advise that you speak to your doctor