'The pill needs more warning after my daughter's death'

The mother of a 19-year-old woman who died suddenly from a rare side effect of the contraceptive pill has called for packaging to contain clearer warnings.

An inquest heard Áine Rose Hurst, from Bolton in Greater Manchester, died from a blood clot in her brain after taking the combined contraceptive pill Femodette.

Kerry Hurst said many young women like her daughter were not aware of the contraceptive pill's potential side effects, and suggested more accessible information and labelling was needed on packaging.

She said: "We're never going to get Áine back, but if we can make a difference to someone else's life, and stop that happening again, then I hope that's what we can do."

Bayer, who manufactures the pill Femodette that Áine was taking, said: "Each pack of Femodette includes an MHRA-approved Patient Information Leaflet that has undergone user-testing to ensure it can be readily understood.

"It provides guidance on how to use the medicine and outlines potential risks, including blood clots."

The family have started the Áine Rose Contraceptive Safety Foundation (ARCS). It hopes to spread awareness of the pill's potential side effects, as well as the symptoms of blood clots.

One of the foundation's main concerns is the way in which drugs' possible side effects are presented.

Speaking about what happened to her daughter, Kerry said: "Áine's [contraceptive pills] came with a 102-page document with side effects on it.

"Young girls don't tend to read them - that's got to change."

Kerry said she would like to see medication packets displaying information about the more serious possible side effects "rather than just a booklet in there that everybody discards".

She suggested this was necessary because in many cases "you take your pills out, you take the pill, that's it."

Femodette is an oral contraceptive, taken daily for 21 days, followed by a seven-day break.

Known as a combined pill, it contains two hormones, oestrogen and progestogen.

Users of all combined hormonal contraceptives are at an increased risk of blood clotting, according to the British National Formulary, a pharmaceutical reference guide.

On 8 March 2025, Áine had been on a Saturday night out. When she woke up with a headache the next morning, she thought she just had a hangover.

Two days later, however, Áine was rushed to Royal Bolton Hospital, where doctors discovered she had serious swelling on the brain.

She died on the Thursday.

Kerry said her daughter "made you feel like you were so special" and had been a happy, healthy young girl who was "living life to the full" and excited about her future.

Áine's inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court on 27 November concluded her death had been caused by an extensive cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a "recognised but rare side effect" of taking Femodette.

The NHS said blood clots affected up to one in 1,000 people using combined hormonal contraception such as the pill.

According to the Thrombosis UK charity, the symptoms of CVSTs include:

• Persistent headache with vomiting
• Impaired vision
• Fainting or loss of consciousness
• Motor or sensory function loss and aphasia (problems speaking)
• Stroke-like symptoms

Kerry said she was keen to stress that "we're not trying to scaremonger... and stop people taking the pill - it's there for a reason".

Áine's aunt Dawn Kidd said the findings of her niece's inquest had given her "the fire in my belly" to raise awareness of the possible risks associated with taking the contraceptive pill.

She said: "My number one aim is to make sure this doesn't happen again, and families don't have to experience what we have."

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