You know how when you go to the GP complaining about anything, be it dodgy skin, bad PMS, irregular periods or sometimes even back pain? Well, so often, the ‘cure’ to it all is ‘Well, we can put you on the Pill’. Now, the Pill has revolutionised women’s lives, but there’s so much to be done to make sure it really is the right thing for women to be prescribed.
That’s because Fallan Kurek, a 21-year-old who was otherwise ‘fit and healthy’ has died after taking the Pill for just 25 days.
The teaching assistant from Tamworth, Staffordshire, had started taking it to regulate her periods, but after a few weeks she collapsed at home and began vomiting. Paramedics turned up but by this point she’d stopped breathing and turned blue. Her parents, Brian and Julia, went with her to hospital, where she was kept in intensive care for three days before being declared brain dead.
Hours later, she died on 14 May 2015. Her cause of death was officially recorded as a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot) on her lung.
But when Fallen was being taken away by paramedics her mother was asked three questions: was there a history of heart problems in the family, had Fallan taken any drugs and, notably, ‘Is she on the Pill?’
Julia replied, she told the* Daily Mail*: ‘Yes, is that relevant?’ to which the paramedic allegedly responded: ‘We know what it is.’
Brian and Julia say that they’re sharing their heartbreaking story because they want to raise awareness about the dangers of blood clots associated with taking the Pill – not just for women who take the Pill, but for the doctors prescribing it. They want health professionals to properly explain the serious side effects to all women taking the Pill, not those specifically considered ‘at risk’ because they smoke or are obese.
That said, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency insists that the Pill is safe: ‘Women should continue to take their contraceptive pill. These are very safe, highly effective medicines for preventing unintended pregnancy and the benefits associated with their use far outweigh their risks,’ a spokesman said.
‘The benefits of any combined hormonal contraceptive far outweigh the risk of serious side effects –prescribers and women should be aware of the major risk factors for blood clots and the key signs and symptoms.
‘If women have questions, they should discuss them with their GP or contraceptive provider at their next routine appointment but should keep taking their contraceptive until they have done so,’ it said.
**You might also be interested in: **
The Father Of The Contraceptive Pill Has Died. We Thank Him For His Gift To The World
Ask An Adult: Is Spending My Twenties On The Pill Going To Mess Up My Body?
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.