Women in New Zealand issued with contraceptive pill warning after two deaths
A coroner in New Zealand has issued a warning to women on the contraceptive pill and doctors prescribing it, after two women died just 10 days apart from similar complications.
By releasing findings into the tragedies, Coroner Alex Ho in Auckland recommended that women should be counselled on the risks of venous thromboembolism, after both women developed unknown clotting conditions.
Georgia O’Neill, a 24-year-old makeup artist, had texted her flatmate and father to say she had a pain in her lower back and left leg which had left her wanting to throw up. She was later found dead in her room at her shared flat in September 2021.
It later emerged she had been unaware she had a condition known as Factor V Leiden mutation, with the pill increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) by 35 times.
In his recommendations, coroner Ho said that all women who take the combined contraceptive pill, in particular those with a family history of venous thromboembolism, should be vigilant for symptoms.
He added that women should be properly counselled on the increased risk and symptoms before being prescribed the pill.
Another woman, Isabella Rangiamohia Alexander, 17, also died in the same month after collapsing during a walk with her father. She was rushed to Auckland Hospital but died shortly after, with blood clots found on her legs and lungs.
Symptoms in the case of PE include chest pain under the ribcage, rapid breathing, dizziness and passing out. In the case of DVT, they include leg pain in the thig or calf, skin that is hot or has reddish discolouration or streaks and swelling.
