Step 1: Concept
Oral contraceptives contain estrogen which influences the coagulation cascade.
Step 2: Meaning
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) involves the formation of blood clots in the veins. Plasminogen is a precursor to plasmin, which helps dissolve clots.
Step 3: Analysis
It is clinically proven that estrogen increases the risk of VTE (Assertion is true). However, estrogen actually tends to increase the synthesis of several coagulation factors and can affect fibrinolysis, but the reasoning that it "reduces plasminogen" to cause clots is incorrect; it often increases certain clotting factors like VII and X.
Step 4: Conclusion
The assertion is a known clinical side effect, but the stated physiological reason is false.
Final Answer: (A)