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Some 1,100 lawsuits have been filed against Bayer HealthCare claiming health risks from its Yasmin and Yaz brand birth control pills, according to the L.A. Times. But is there any evidence behind the claimed problems, which include dangerous blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and gallbladder disease?

Well, nothing definitive – research on the effects of the purported culprit in Yaz, a synthetic progestin called drospirenone, is mixed. “Some studies have found drospirenone to pose no greater health risk than other birth control pills; some studies show a sixfold greater risk of getting blood clots, even in young, healthy women,” the LAT says. Bayer says the drugs are safe and effective.

Yaz, on the market since 2006, has become the top-selling oral contraceptive in the U.S., the paper says, citing IMS Health data. As one of the “fourth generation” birth control pills, it’s supposed to have fewer side effects than earlier drugs. And, it’s FDA-approved to treat very severe PMS, officially called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), but not the more mild forms. Last year Bayer entered into a settlement with the FDA and changed its advertising to emphasize that fact. Earlier ads mentioned symptoms that may occur in any form of PMS, such irritability, bloating, headaches and acne.

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Yasmin, Yaz Birth Control Subject of Lawsuits