Yaz and Yasmin are birth control pills manufactured and marketed by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. They are combination oral contraceptives, which include both an estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drospirenone) component that work together to suppress ovulation, fertilization, and egg implantation and thus prevent pregnancy. Yaz is essentially the same as Yasmin, with the only difference being a slightly lower dose of ethinyl estradiol. Ocella is a generic formulation of Yasmin and contains both ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone. Beyaz is also marketed by Bayer and is the same drug as Yaz with the addition of Folate, a nutrient found naturally in some foods and is otherwise known as vitamin B9. The addition of vitamin B9 to Beyaz is thought to build up B9 reserves in the body to give mother and fetus a good head start in the event of an unexpected pregnancy.
