ATLANTA — In April, model Hailey Bieber shared that she suffered a mini-stroke brought on by a blood clot in her brain.
In a video posted to YouTube, she claimed doctors said her birth control likely contributed to the formation of the clot.
“They did come to the conclusion of why I had a blot clot in the first place," Bieber said in the video. "One of the causes was that I just recently started birth control.”
So, 11Alive set out to Verify:
THE QUESTION
Can birth control pills lead to blood clots or a stroke?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, taking certain birth control pills can lead to blood clots or stroke, but this doesn't happen often.
"The majority of birth control pills are a combination of estrogen and progesterone," explained 11Alive medical expert Dr. Sujatha Reddy, a gynecology specialist. "We've known that estrogen has the ability to increase the risk for blood clots, which can lead to stroke.”
However, Dr. Reddy said it is rare.
WHAT WE FOUND
“The baseline risk for young women is probably around one to four strokes per 100,000," she said. "So if the pill increases that risk and it doubles it, while that sounds terrible, your numbers are going to be only as high as approximately eight per 100,000, which is still a very small number.”
She said several factors could put you at higher risk, and certain people shouldn’t take the pill.
“Women with migraines have a slightly higher risk of stroke, if women have high blood pressure, they're at a higher risk," Dr. Reddy explained. "For smokers over 35, we don't prescribe estrogen-containing birth controls because the risk just gets too high there.”
According to the CDC, 900,000 Americans per year are affected by blood clots. Estrogen-based birth control is listed as a risk factor.
But if you’re on the pill now, don’t panic. Dr. Reddy said for most people, birth control pills are safe and effective.
“We know that women who are on [the pill] for 5 to 10 years over their lifetime have a decreased risk of uterine and ovarian cancer," she said. "You often have better skin, less PMS, less risk of ovarian cysts. Most women on pills are going to have absolutely no issue with blood clots for their whole entire life.”
So we can verify: yes, taking certain birth control pills can lead to blood clots or stroke. But it’s rare.
“The risk is real," said Dr. Reddy. "But it's very, very small."
According to the CDC, symptoms of a stroke include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.