By Mapaballo Borotho
- Women who used a recalled batch of Yaz Plus contraceptive pills are seeking legal advice after allegedly falling pregnant while taking the medication.
- Batch WEW96J was distributed in South Africa between November 2023 and November 2024 and was recalled after an incorrect tablet sequence was identified.
- Attorneys representing affected women say each enquiry will need to be assessed individually and that the recall does not automatically establish legal liability.
Women who used a recalled batch of Yaz Plus contraceptive pills and believe they fell pregnant while taking the medication are seeking legal advice.
The affected batch, WEW96J, was distributed in South Africa between November 2023 and November 2024 before being recalled in November 2024 following a packaging error.
“The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) collaborated with Bayer to ensure the speedy recall of an erroneous batch of Yaz Plus contraceptive pills following an alarming ‘mix-up’ that could compromise the contraceptive’s effectiveness and result in unintended pregnancies,” SAHPRA said in a previously published media statement.
Legal investigations into the matter are continuing in 2026.
The affected women are seeking advice from LHL Attorneys, which says it has received enquiries from women who believe they became pregnant after using the recalled contraceptives.
The firm has stressed that these are currently enquiries and not confirmed legal claims.
According to LHL Attorneys, the recalled Yaz Plus packs contained the incorrect sequence of tablets.
Instead of containing 24 active hormone tablets followed by four placebo tablets, the affected packs reportedly contained 24 placebo tablets and only four active hormone tablets.
The incorrect packaging significantly reduced the contraceptive effectiveness of the product.
LHL Attorneys says the official recall strengthens its investigation because there is no dispute that some blister packs were incorrectly packaged.
However, the firm cautions that the recall alone does not establish legal liability or automatically entitle every woman who used the affected product to compensation.
Each case will have to be assessed individually, including whether a woman used the affected batch and whether there is evidence linking its use to an unintended pregnancy.
The firm says it has received enquiries from several provinces, although no clear geographical or demographic trend has emerged.
Legal investigations into the matter are ongoing.
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