Yaz, South Africa - recall of hormonal contraceptive is real
IN SHORT: A popular video discussing a packaging error in a batch of Yaz Plus contraceptive pills sounds outlandish, leading some social media users to report it as false. But regulators have confirmed the claim and are urging Yaz customers to check their pill box for batch WEW96J and see their doctor.
In a November 2024 video posted to Tiktok, X, Instagram and YouTube, South African radio and TV host Dan Corder made a sensational claim. He said that a nationwide product recall had been issued for a batch of Yaz Plus, a hormonal birth control pill, due to an error that could impact its contraceptive effectiveness.
The videos have been popular online, some receiving tens of thousands of views, and South Africans in the comments section reacted variously, expressing outrage, disbelief and wit. "They should be liable with costs!" one user wrote. Others responded with anecdotes of unusual menstrual bleeding, or joked about an imminent surge in pregnancies.
A well-trodden fact-checking maxim is if it sounds too shocking to be true, it probably is. But every now and then, there's the exception that proves the rule. This recall is real, even though social media posts about it have been flagged as potentially false by Meta's fact-checking system.
Official recall letter and media statement
In these situations, it is often helpful to trace the claim back to its source. The speaker in these videos shows what looks like an official document, dated 18 November, addressed to healthcare professionals and titled Urgent Medicine Recall.
The document uses Yaz manufacturer Bayer's logo and is signed by Eric Chauke, head of the company's regulatory affairs division. While official-looking documents can be faked, this one can be confirmed using an internet search, which shows the same statement was published on the drug manufacturer Bayer's official website.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) published a similar media statement announcing the recall. It quoted chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela saying: "We urge members of the public who are in possession of YAZ PLUS Batch No. WEW96J to discontinue use and to return the packaging to their pharmacists". Yaz customers should look for this batch number and the expiry date, March 2026, printed on the pill box.
How hormonal contraceptives work
Yaz is a medication containing hormones that affect a person's menstrual cycle. As a contraceptive, it works by preventing the usual monthly release of an egg from the ovaries, and changing the mucus produced by the cervix to slow the movement of sperm to the uterus. Hormonal contraceptives are also sometimes used to treat acne. For effective contraception, the pills need to be taken properly every day.
Usually, a monthly supply contains 24 pink "active", or hormone-containing, pills, followed by four orange hormone-free pills. These inactive pills are included to help maintain the routine of taking the pill every day and cause withdrawal bleeding that looks like a period. Some people choose to skip inactive contraceptive pills and avoid monthly bleeding, which is generally safe.
Timeline of the recall
The error in this batch meant the active and inactive pills were reversed, and the pack contained 24 orange inactive pills followed by just four pink active pills.
SAHPRA categorised this as a class II, type A recall. This is used when the error could have "temporary or medically reversible" consequences, and the recall is extended to all suppliers (hospitals, pharmacies, wholesalers and individual customers) via a recall letter and media statement being released.
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In a 22 November interview, medical director for Bayer, Dr Naren Jairam, said that the company had only been made aware of the error "a few days" before, despite this batch having arrived on South African shelves in November 2023.
Jairam said the company had conducted the necessary quality assurance checks on samples from the batch, but these had not detected the error. He concluded that it was unclear "how far and to what extent" the batch had been distributed. Bayer has provided a phone line for customers to contact with any concerns or questions.
We decided to write about this true claim because some users reported it as potentially false. This is an example of a real claim that sounds too shocking to be true. It's a good reminder of the need to check credible news outlets and official sources too, and if you're unsure, contact your healthcare provider or the relevant authorities involved - or ask a fact-checking organisation to look into it.
