Birth control patch
What is the birth control patch?
It is a thin flexible square patch that you wear on your body that slowly and continuously releases hormones through your skin to prevent pregnancy. You wear one patch for a week at a time. It can be placed on your upper outer arms, buttocks, lower abdomen or upper torso (excluding the breasts).
How does the birth control patch work?
The patch prevents pregnancy in three ways:
It prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg.
The lining of the uterus becomes thinner. This makes it harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus.
It thickens the cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to travel through the cervix which leads to the uterus.
How effective is the birth control patch?
If used correctly, the patch is 99 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy.
How do you use the birth control patch?
* Read the instructions that come with the package and check the expiry date.
The day you begin wearing using the patch is your “patch change day.”
Apply the patch within 48 hours of getting your period. Apply the patch to dry, clean, healthy skin. Wear the patch for seven days.
On the eighth day, remove the patch and discard it by folding the sticky side together. Apply a new patch right away to another one of the sites mentioned, to avoid irritation.
On the 15th day, remove the patch and apply a new one.
On the 22nd day, remove the patch and do not apply a new one. You will get your period this week.
Start with a new package on the “patch change day,” even if you are still on your period.
If your doctor gives you medication to take, tell him or her that you are using the patch.
What are the advantages of the birth control patch?
It is a reversible form of birth control.
It is highly effective.
You only have to think about it once a week.
It’s simple and easy to use.
It regulates your period and reduces cramping associated with your period.
Estrogen and progesterone lower your chances of getting cancer of the ovaries and the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus
It doesn’t interrupt sex.
It may reduce cervical and endometrial cancer.
Your partner doesn’t have to get involved.
You can wear it while showering, swimming or exercising.
What are the disadvantages of the birth control patch?
It doesn’t protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
It may cause skin irritation.
A doctor has to give you a prescription.
You may not be able to use it if you have certain health problems.
If it falls off or partly detached it will not work as well.
A very small number of women suffer more serious side effects. There is a risk of getting heart attacks, strokes, blood clots in the veins, or liver tumours. As you get older, you are at higher risk of having these problems. If you smoke or have high blood pressure, the risk is even higher.
Where can I get the birth control patch?
Pharmacies and most birth control clinics sell the patch.