Dr. Nishendra Karunarathne, Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist, Lanka Hospitals Private Limited; Prof. Hemantha Senanayaka, Consultant OBGYN and a senior member of the Sri Lanka College of Gynecologists; and Dr. Sanath Lanerolle, Consultant OBGYN at the Marawila teaching hospital at the event.

Over the last few years, the ability for women to control their lives and enhance their choices has grown in leaps and bounds. The power to make an informed decision on when to start a family and what options are available has given women the world over a greater degree of control over their futures.
The availability of contraceptive pills and the increased degree of information accessible to women regarding the use of contraception has grown in the recent past. Creating a huge impact in the local and international arena, the growth in popularity of home use oral contraceptives compared to other methods of contraception has also impacted the community at large.

At the recently conducted celebration of two successful years of Yasmin availability in Sri Lanka, the leading Obstetricians & Gynecologists expressed their views on the success of Yasmin and the impact it had on the Sri Lankan woman. Presided over by Prof. Hemantha Senanayaka, Consultant OBGYN a senior member of the Sri Lanka College of Gynecologists, the event focused on the need for enhanced awareness and the benefits of Oral contraceptives, with a special focus on the success Yasmin has achieved in the two years since its advent to the Sri Lanka market. Renowned as the world's number one oral contraceptive pill, Yasmin has fast become the most popular oral contraceptive pill available locally as well.

In his presentation Dr. Sanath Lanerolle, Consultant OBGYN attached to the Marawila teaching hospital, stressed the need for extensive education regarding the facts related to contraceptives. "Although there are many types of contraceptives available, the lack of information and the continuing 'myths' regarding their use play a role in the continuing slow rate of adoption of a contraceptive method. 61 million women worldwide use some form of contraception - this number is higher in developed countries than in the developing world.

However, even with the availability of contraceptives and the high rate of use, a very high number of around 340 million unplanned pregnancies still occur annually. Much of these pregnancies are later terminated, leading to one of the highest contributors to the overall maternity mortality rate worldwide."
Speaking on the benefits of Yasmin over conventional Oral Contraceptives, Dr. Nishendra Karunarathne, Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist, Lanka Hospitals Private Limited and a member of the SLCOG emphasized the benefits Yasmin boasted over other Oral Contraceptives. "The developments of oral contraceptives over the last few years, leading to 'combination Oral Contraceptives' such as Yasmin, provide benefits to women that previous contraceptives could not. Factors like weight gain, skin irritation and acne, mood changes, headaches, nausea, hypertension, higher blood pressure and the myth of sterility as well as a host of other side effects play a large role in the slow adoption and high rate of discontinuation of the use of Oral Contraceptives. However, with newer molecules like Yasmin (Drosperenone), these issues are negated. Giving women a healthy and effective solution, that dispels the issues many faced with Oral contraceptives in the past."

Dr. Karunarathna went on to emphasize the high rate of success Yasmin showed, with 95% of users satisfied with the results of use and 87% unlikely to switch to other Oral Contraceptives or different forms of contraception. He also went on to say that Yasmin is one of the best tolerated Oral Contraceptives available in the market and has a very high safety profile compared with other Oral Contraceptives
Speaking on the event Mr. Tharanga Jayawickrama, Marketing Manager, women's healthcare, Bayer Schering Pharma Sri Lanka emphasized the importance of educating the public on the risks involved in unplanned pregnancy and the options available to women in this day and age. "Many of the myths related to Oral Contraceptives have been dispelled through the enhanced availability of information.
We at Bayer Schering Pharma believe that we are providing women with a high quality product that is guaranteed to provide them with a safe and efficient solution to their requirements. To further enhance the education of the public on the implications of unplanned pregnancy and enhance the availability of information related to these issues. I would like to thank the healthcare professional for their support and dedication and look forward to a continued partnership to better the lives we touch".