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Overview:
- Find out if the Patch or the Pill suits your body and lifestyle
- Just as effective as the Pill, the weekly birth control patch
offers women
the simplicity of once-a-week application.
Click here to learn more.
- Generations of women have relied on the Pill, the most popular form of reversible
contraception in the country.
Click here to learn more.
A woman today has a greater variety of birth control options available to her
than ever before. Making the right choice can be as important to her lifestyle
as it is to her reproductive health. The Patch and the Pill, two of the most popular
methods of contraception, are results of enormous strides in science. These highly
effective and convenient options can make it easier for a woman to choose a method
that suits her body and lifestyle.
The Simplicity of Once-A-Week Application
The transdermal-or "through the skin"-weekly birth control patch is one of
the
latest advancements in contraceptives. Just as effective as the Pill, it offers
women the simplicity of once-a-week application.
Patch technology has been used successfully to treat pain, heart disease, and
motion sickness, as well as to help people stop smoking and receive hormone replacement
therapy. As a birth control option, ORTHO EVRA, the world's first and only weekly
contraceptive patch.
The Patch, which must be prescribed by a healthcare professional, prevents pregnancy
by delivering continuous levels of norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol (progestin
and estrogen, respectively) through the skin and into the bloodstream.
Hormones from ORTHO EVRA® get into the blood stream and are processed by the body differently than hormones from birth control pills. You will be exposed to about 60% more estrogen if you use ORTHO EVRA® than if you use a typical birth control pill containing 35 micrograms of estrogen. In general, increased estrogen may increase the risk of side effects. The risk of venous thromboembolic events (blood clots in the legs and/or the lungs) may be increased with ORTHO EVRA® use compared with use of birth control pills. Studies examined the risk of these serious blood clots in women who used either ORTHO EVRA® or birth control pills containing one of two progestins (levonorgestrel or norgestimate) and 30-35 micrograms of estrogen. Results of these studies ranged from an approximate doubling of risk of serious blood clots to no increase in risk in women using ORTHO EVRA® compared to women using birth control pills. Talk to your healthcare provider about how this information relates to your use of ORTHO EVRA.
A woman can apply and remove the smooth and thin beige patch herself,
and can wear it on 1 of 4 areas of her body: upper outer arm, upper torso (front
and back, excluding the breasts), abdomen, or buttock. It adheres well to the
skin, allowing a woman to shower, swim, exercise, and perform her usual daily
activities without interruption.
The Patch is 99 percent effective when used correctly, and is applied once a week
for 3 consecutive weeks; the fourth week is "patch-free." A woman can decide
with her doctor or other healthcare professional whether to start wearing it on
the first day of her period, or on the first Sunday after her period starts.
Tried and True
Generations of women have relied on the Pill for birth control, the most popular
form of reversible contraception in the country. In fact, oral contraceptives
are used by 80 percent of women in the United States at some point in their reproductive
years.
The Pill, which must be prescribed by a healthcare professional, is a small tablet
taken orally, usually for 28 days. It is highly effective when used
correctly—which means taking the pills consistently, every day at the same time.
One of the most significant findings since the introduction of the first pill
in 1960 is that far less hormone is needed to prevent conception than
originally
thought. Over the years, the company that is now known as
Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals,
Inc, developed formulations with decreasing estrogen and progestin levels.
The most recent pill is ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO (norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol)—which
has an even lower level of the hormone estrogen than
ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® (norgestimate/ethinyl
estradiol).
ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN LO gives women clinically proven effectiveness and may help make periods easier, shorter and more predictable—all with a low level of ethinyl estradiol (an estrogen) and norgestimate (a progestin). Oral contraceptives containing norgestimate are associated with a low occurrence of nuisance side effects, such as weight gain and acne.
In addition to contraception, possible benefits of most birth control pills include
lighter periods, less severe cramps and other menstrual symptoms, and a decreased
risk of ovarian cysts or acute pelvic inflammatory disease (a serious infection
of the uterus, fallopian tubes and/or ovaries).
Serious as well as minor side effects have been reported with the use of
oral contraceptives. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke and heart attacks and are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you are over 35. Women who use oral contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke. Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as those who are or may may be pregnant. The Pill does not protect against HIV or sexually transmitted diseases.
Talk to Your Healthcare Professional
The information presented in this section does not take the place of a discussion
with your doctor or other healthcare professional about the benefits and risks
of these or other options. Because no 2 people are alike, no one method is right for everyone.
Review each method with your partner and ask your physician or other healthcare
professional about
ORTHO EVRA and
ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN LO to help you decide which
best meets your needs.
For more information, please see the full
US Prescribing Information for ORTHO EVRA.
For more information, please see the
full US Prescribing Information for ORTHO
TRI-CYCLEN® LO Tablets.
For more information, please see the
full US Prescribing Information for ORTHO
TRI-CYCLEN® Tablets.
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