Georgia O’Neill, a 24-year-old make-up artist from Auckland, was found "unresponsive" in her bedroom on September 20, 2021. Earlier in the day, O’Neill had complained that she was feeling unwell and "had a lot of pain in her lower back."
O’Neill had sent a text message to her father and roommate. At the time, she was prescribed Ginet, an oral contraceptive, according to the Coroner’s report.
After receiving the text message, O’Neill’s roommate replied three times but did not receive a response from her. Her roommate eventually returned to their home to find O’Neill unresponsive. She was later pronounced dead by attending paramedics.
Oral contraceptives increase blood clot risk
A post-mortem examination revealed that O’Neill had thrombosis in the right pulmonary artery, as well as a heterozygous Factor V Leiden mutation.
The heterozygous Factor V Leiden mutation is inherited in about one to five percent of individuals with European ancestry. The figure can increase to at least 10 to 20 percent in those people with underlying venous thromboembolism.
When someone takes oral contraceptives, the risk of developing a blood clot increases substantially. At least five and seven in every thousand are affected annually.
Dr. Eileen Merriman, the clinical director of hematology and lead thrombosis clinician at Te Whatu Ora Waitemata, explained that women with Factor V Leiden have an estimated 35-fold increased risk of developing a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) compared with other women without Factor V Leiden.
Coroner Alexander Ho explained that if O’Neill had been made more aware of the risks of developing DVT while she took Ginet, she would have been careful when attributing symptoms to a "pre-existing back condition."
According to the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe), the oral contraceptive Ginet is not recommended in women primarily for contraception and is only available via prescription.
Ginet is also used to treat women with acne, hair loss or increased growth of facial and body hair if these conditions are caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or the over-production of male-type hormones called androgens, said Medsafe.
Medsafe also warned that women taking the combined oral contraceptive pill should be advised that there is an increased risk of venous thromboembolism. Women taking the drug pill were also told to seek immediate medical attention if they developed symptoms of DVT or PE.
While O’Neill did take the Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine on Sept. 7, 2021, the coroner claimed that there was "no evidence" to suggest that the vaccine was linked to her death.
Teenager taking an oral contraceptive also dies from blood clots
On September 9, 2021, a teenager died under similar circumstances.
Isabella Alexander, 17, also took an oral contraceptive while having the pre-existing Heterozygous Factor V Leiden mutation. She died from blood clots.
Reports revealed that Alexander, a Year 13 student, collapsed while walking with her father on Muriwai Beach. The coroner's report showed that Alexander had blood clots in her lungs and legs.
The coroner said her death was caused directly by pulmonary thromboembolism and indirectly by the heterozygous Factor V Leiden mutation, which was made worse by her use of an oral contraceptive.
Like O’Neill, Alexander had also taken the Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine earlier. However, the coroner also claimed that he found "no evidence" to suggest that this played a role in her death.
The coroner added that Alexander's death is a grim reminder that even "widely used, and relatively safe, medications still have risks." He also warned that even healthy young people, who seem to have no obvious risk factors, can be affected. (Related: FDA approves first OTC birth control pill in the U.S. despite concerns about data on its proper use.)
According to the coroner, all prescribers of the combined oral contraceptive pill and other hormone-related medications must ensure that they access a patient's comprehensive clinical history. He also recommended that they inform patients about the risks of venous thromboembolism, the seriousness of the condition and the symptoms to keep an eye out for.
Visit DangerousMedicine.com for more reports on the adverse effects of oral contraceptives and other medications.
Watch this clip for more information about the side effects of birth control.
This video is from the Tammy Cuthbert Garcia channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Birth control vaccine that may leave women permanently sterile now in clinical trials.
Birth control pills found to increase the likelihood of ischemic stroke in women.
‘Horrible idea’: First vaccine for birth control now in clinical trials.
Sources include:
CoronialServices.Justice.Govt.nz [PDF]
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