Yaz and Pregnancy

In animal studies on drospirenone (one of the hormones in Yaz) and pregnancy, the hormone increased the risk of miscarriages and slow fetal development. As a result, the FDA has classified Yaz as a pregnancy Category X medication, meaning it should not intentionally be used during pregnancy. However, if you accidentally use Yaz before realizing you are pregnant, it should not cause any problems.

 

Yaz and Pregnancy: An Overview

Yaz® (drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol) is a prescription oral contraceptive, also known as a birth control pill. As with all oral contraceptives, Yaz should not be intentionally used during pregnancy.
 

Yaz and Pregnancy Category X

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category X is given to medications that should not be used during pregnancy. Often, this is due to serious problems that could potentially occur, such as birth defects or miscarriages.
 
Even though Yaz is a pregnancy Category X medication, it is not likely to cause any problems if accidentally used during early pregnancy. In animal studies, drospirenone (one of the hormones in Yaz) increased the risk of miscarriages and slow fetal development. When Yaz was given to animals in late pregnancy, male offspring developed feminine characteristics, probably because Yaz works against testosterone and other male hormones. It is not known if these problems will also occur in humans. When Yaz was studied in humans, 12 women accidentally became pregnant while taking the drug. However, there were no reported problems in these women or their babies.
 

Yaz and Pregnancy: Final Thoughts

If you accidentally used Yaz for a while before you realized you were pregnant, this should not cause any problems. However, if you are pregnant, you should stop using Yaz right away. If you think you may be pregnant, you should contact your healthcare provider for further instructions.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;