Birth Control Patch

What Is the Birth Control Patch?

The contraceptive patch is a small patch a woman can wear on her skin to keep her from getting pregnant. It sticks to the skin like a Band-Aid. The patch contains both estrogen and progestin. The hormones go slowly into the woman's body through her skin.

Each patch works for only 1 week. You wear 1 patch each week for 3 weeks. During the fourth week, you wear no patch at all. This is when you will get your period.

The patch works well to prevent pregnancy. But it does not protect against HIV and other STDs. If you have sex with anyone you think might give you a sexually transmitted infection, you should use a condom.

Effectiveness

Perfect user: A person that uses their method of pregnancy prevention correctly all of the time.

Typical user: A person who does not use their method of pregnancy prevention correctly.

With perfect use, the patch is 99.7% effective.

This means that if 100 women use the patch exactly the right way, only 1 woman (and probably no women) out of that group will get pregnant in a year.

With typical use, the patch is 92% effective.

For women who don't always use their patch exactly the right way, 8 women out of 100 might get pregnant in a year.

For women who weigh 198 pounds (90 kilos) or more, the patch may not work as well.

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Advantages

  • The patch is easy to use.
  • The patch is very good at preventing pregnancy.
  • The patch does not interrupt having sex.
  • The patch stays on even when you exercise, shower, or take a bath.
  • The patch may make periods lighter and less "crampy".
  • The patch may make acne better.
  • The patch helps protect against cancer of the ovary and cancer of the uterus.
  • The patch does not cause any serious problems in most women.

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Possible Side Effects

  • Tender or full breasts

  • Changes in menstrual bleeding

  • Nausea

  • Mood changes

  • Rash

Important: Some women stop using the patch when they have any of these side effects. The side effects won't hurt you or stop you from having a baby in the future. They usually go away in 1 to 3 months. If they bother you, go back to your clinician so that you can be given a different method that may not cause any side effects.

Remember: If you ever stop the patch for any reason, you can get pregnant right away.

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Possible Warning Signs

Some signs of possible serious side effects are:

  • Dizziness
  • Numbness in arms or legs
  • Abdominal pain that is severe
  • Chest pain
  • Bad headache
  • Eye problems
  • Bad leg pain, swelling, or redness

The chances of having these warning signs of a possible serious health problem is very low. However, if you should have one or more of them, go to your clinician or an emergency room right away.

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Important Warning

If you see a doctor for any reason, tell the doctor that you are using the patch. Some medicines may keep the patch from working as well. If you need to take one of these medicines, you may need to use a back up method of pregnancy prevention, like condoms, until you finish the medication. Your doctor will tell you if this is necessary.

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To Learn More

To learn more about how to use the patch, go to:

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