Charlotte, 26 years old

“I was at Roissy airport after a long-haul flight. While waiting in the endless customs line, I had trouble moving my left leg. It felt terribly heavy and painful. It was worse than having my leg fall asleep. I had been drinking water and walking often during the eight-hour flight. I figured this incident was due to fatigue and painfully worked my way through line. Once I got out of the airport, I couldn’t walk anymore. I was put in a wheelchair and had to go through a series of tests. At age 15, I was diagnosed with phlebitis caused by contraception prescribed to treat endometriosis. This pill wasn’t right for me and aggravated an existing vascular weakness. I’m still taking medication for this female disorder and pay close attention to any pain. I also tell everyone about this experience. Young girls need to be better informed about the risks of contraception with synthetic estrogen.”