The Patch
Method
A
woman applies a small adhesive patch to herbutt, upper arm, or lower
abdomen. The patch contains a combination of the hormones estrogen and
progestin. The patch is changed once a week for 3 weeks, followed by one
week with no patch.
Success Rate
With
typical use, 8 women in 100 (8%) become pregnant in one year. With
perfect use, less than one woman in 100 (less than 1%) will become
pregnant in one year.
The Perks
If
used correctly, the patch provides non-stop protection from pregnancy;
it can make a woman’s periods more regular, reduce cramps, and shorten
or lighten a woman’s period. It only has to be changed once a week.
Drag Factor
Offers
no protection against STDs including HIV. Some women have skin
reactions, nausea, headaches and breast discomfort. If the patch is
removed for more than a day, or a woman is late starting a new patch,
she should either not have sex or use a back-up method of contraception
(like a condom) until she has used a new patch for 7 days.
How To Get It
Through
a prescription from a health care provider; the cost runs $15 to $50 a
month, plus the cost of the visit to a health care provider. Whether you
need parental consent for a prescription depends on your state, find
more here.
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