Nearly 500 South African women have approached attorneys after experiencing unintended pregnancies while using Yaz Plus contraceptive pills, following the recall of a batch that contained the wrong sequence of hormone-containing and hormone-free tablets.

LHL Attorneys is investigating a potential class action against Bayer South Africa, the manufacturer of Yaz Plus, after receiving more than 500 enquiries from women who believe they may have been affected by the defective pills. The firm is currently gathering medical and pharmacy records to determine which cases can be linked to the recalled batch.

LHL senior associate Demi Buckley stressed that the figure represents enquiries and not confirmed claimants or women who have formally joined court proceedings.

“The number refers to enquiries, not confirmed claimants or women who have formally joined court proceedings,” Buckley said.

The legal investigation follows a recall issued by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) in November 2024 over Yaz Plus batch WEW96J. The batch was distributed on 9 and 24 November 2023 and had an expiry date of March 2026.

The problem was with the arrangement of the tablets inside some blister packs.

A standard 28-tablet Yaz Plus pack contains 24 pink tablets containing contraceptive hormones, followed by four light-orange hormone-free tablets. However, affected packs contained 24 light-orange hormone-free tablets and only four pink hormone-containing tablets.

This meant women using an affected pack could unknowingly take hormone-free tablets during the period when they were supposed to be taking active contraceptive tablets. Bayer confirmed that the error compromised the contraceptive efficacy of the affected packs.

SAHPRA classified the recall as a Class II Type A recall and advised women who had the affected batch to stop using it, return the pack to their pharmacist and consult a healthcare professional. The regulator confirmed that the recall applied specifically to batch WEW96J.

The batch had been in circulation from November 2023 until the recall was issued in November 2024. LHL’s investigation is looking at women who used Yaz Plus during the relevant period and subsequently experienced an unintended pregnancy. The firm’s current information asks women who used the contraceptive between 9 November 2023 and 31 January 2025 to come forward for assessment.

The law firm is collecting prescriptions, pharmacy dispensing records and medical records, as well as documentation relating to pregnancy outcomes. These records will be used to establish whether an individual woman received the defective batch and whether there is sufficient evidence connecting the contraceptive error to her pregnancy.

The potential legal claims could include costs associated with pregnancy and birth, medical expenses, loss of income and longer-term financial costs linked to raising an unplanned child. LHL has also said potential claims may include emotional and psychological suffering in certain circumstances.

The financial impact is already being highlighted by women who say they were affected. One 27-year-old KwaZulu-Natal woman told Sunday Times that her family’s unexpected pregnancy resulted in significant medical and financial costs. The family reportedly spent more than R80,000 on medical expenses, sold their car, temporarily closed their business and moved towns to manage their finances.

LHL says it is investigating whether the circumstances could support a class action against Bayer. However, the potential case is still at the investigative stage, and the number of enquiries cannot yet be treated as the number of proven claims.

For women who still have their Yaz Plus packaging, the batch number is important. SAHPRA identified WEW96J as the affected batch and urged consumers to check their packs and speak to a healthcare professional if they believe they may have used the recalled product.

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