John Feroleto

The drug company Merck will pay $100 million to resolve lawsuits of women involving the NuvaRing contraceptive. NuvaRing may well put woman at a greater risk of blood clots, and stroke than other birth control methods. As an attorney who handles defective and dangerous product cases,the evidence in these cases looked very solid. Merck has added new warnings to the package labeling.

Like other hormonal methods, NuvaRing comes with a potential side effect of blood clot risks. The risk includes getting a venous thrombosis, or VTE that forms in the deep veins, often the legs. If the clot breaks off and moves to the lungs it is called a pulmonary embolism and is very often fatal. Thursday, the 

 published guidelines recommending woman considering oral contraceptives to get screened for high blood pressure is the pills can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke.