When Holly McComish began taking the combined contraceptive pill in the summer of 2021, she didn't know much about it.
She was in a serious relationship at the time, and when she spoke to friends and scanned the internet for advice, it seemed like the best option for her at the time.
As doctors still weren't seeing patients face-to-face, due to coronavirus restrictions, Holly was given a telephone appointment with her local GP surgery.
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The then 25-year-old claims she wasn't asked about her medical history, and that her height, weight and blood pressure wasn't checked.
Holly says her doctor told her about a risk that the pill could cause her to feel anxious or depressed, but says she wasn't warned of any other serious side effects.
The theatre producer had been taking the pill without any issue for around two months when on October 29, she recalled beginning to feel strange whilst pitching an idea at work.
"I remember my vision going and not being able to hear," Holly said. "I was thinking this is a bit odd and I tried to have a drink of water but the water just fell out of my mouth.
"I was still present but I couldn't speak. I was making some sort of stuttering sound and thought to myself 'what is going on?'
"It was lucky that someone in the room had clocked that my face had dropped to one side and I remember people shouting to call an ambulance. I had no idea what was going on. I thought it was some kind of freak accident where people just pass away."
Holly was rushed to A&E and was told that she needed to be referred to a stroke unit. It was the first time someone had mentioned that word, leaving her "panicked."
"I remember them asking if I was on contraception and when I said yes they said I had to stop taking it immediately," she recalled. "They said this contraception carries a risk of blood clots and that blood clot has got into your brain.
"I had to have an MRI scan and my family were informed I'd had a stroke which was very upsetting. I didn't know another 25-year-old who had had a stroke. I just felt embarrassed and ashamed that my body had let me down."
The now 26-year-old, from London, had to undergo tests and although doctors were not able to say the contraceptive pill caused the blood clot, she was told to stop taking it immediately.
It later emerged that she has a common heart condition called Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). It is a flap-valve opening in the heart which usually closes after birth. But in around a quarter of people, it stays open, and it has been associated with a risk of strokes or migraines.
"It's not particularly dangerous unless you have something like a blood clot," Holly said. "It's really scary because of women are signing up for contraception and won't know they have this heart condition. They are putting themselves in potentially dangerous conditions."
Whilst Holly is adamant she doesn't want her story to scare people, and understands that for the majority of people, the pill is effective, she is calling for better awareness around contraception, and more investment for women's health generally.
"I had no idea of the risks of blood clots when I first started taking the pill and I think women need to be able to make more informed choices," she said.
"I'd like to see more research, more investment and the regular checks carried out. If we are putting women on contraception with a risk of blood clots, heart scans should really be available to stop what happened to me happening to someone else.
"I'm not trying to scaremonger and I know the pill works for lots of women but the fact this is happening to some of us just isn't good enough."
Holly hasn't found anyone else her age who has had a similar experience, and hopes her story will provide comfort to women and girls who've suffered adverse effects of the pill.
Following her traumatic ordeal, she became so anxious about her health, she barely left the house, and decided to channel her anxiety by penning a book about women's health issues.
"I wanted to use writing as a way to process what had happened to me," she said. "I think there's a lot of information targeted at older women but I wanted to provide something fun and relatable for younger people."
The book is called If Tits Could Talk and explores a range of different female health issues from contraception, to smear tests. It's available to buy on Amazon.
Information about the pill
Contraception aims to stop conception by preventing sperm reaching an egg - either by keeping the egg and sperm apart, or by stopping the release of an egg. The combined oral contraceptive pill, often just called 'the pill' contains artificial versions of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are naturally produced in the ovaries.
Temporary side effects of the pill can include headaches, nausea, breast tenderness and mood swings. If these symptoms persist for a few months, doctors advise it may be best to change pill.
The pill can also increase a person's blood pressure, and has been linked to an increased risk of some serious health conditions, such as blood clots and breast cancer, the NHS advises.
According to the NHS, the risk of getting a blood clot is very small, but they advise that a doctor should check if you have certain risk factors before prescribing the pill.
The pill can slightly increase the risk of developing breast cancer and cervical cancer, but it can also decrease the risk of developing womb cancer, ovarian cancer and bowel cancer.
However, 10 years after you stop taking the pill, your risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer goes back to normal.
The Progesterone-only pill (POP) prevents pregnancy by thickening the mucus in the cervix to stop sperm reaching an egg.
According to the NHS, the progesterone-only pill is tolerated well and side effects are rare. They can include acne, breast tenderness, an increase or decrease in sex drive and mood changes.
It can also cause headaches and migraines, nausea and vomiting, small fluid-filled sacs (cysts) on your ovaries, which are usually harmless and disappear without treatment.
If you have any concerns about your contraceptive pill, see your GP or practice nurse. They may advise you to change to another pill or a different form of contraception.
Research is continuing into the link between breast cancer and the progestogen-only pill. There is not enough evidence to say for certain that the progestogen-only pill does not increase the risk of breast cancer.
If you have any concerns about your contraceptive pill, see your GP or practice nurse. They may advise you to change to another pill or a different form of contraception.
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