A 20-year-old woman was found unconscious with her head downwards in a bathtub. Postmortem findings were consistent with death by drowning. Although the woman suffered from petit mal it was considered that her death was to be ascribed to cerebral ischemia following the use of an oral contraceptive. Epilepsy is 1 of the conditions where special precautions should be observed before prescribing an oral contraceptive.