The Contraceptive patch, otherwise known as Evra, offers users a slight variant to the pill. Small, sticky and beige it looks much like a nicotine patch, containing both oestrogen and progestogen which are continuously delivered to the body. The patch\u00a0 works in effectively the same way as the combined pill, through the dual process of preventing the release of an egg for fertilization within the womb\u00a0 and thickening the mucus around the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to reach the inside of the womb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The patch can be applied to most areas of the body, with the most common areas of choice being the upper arm, shoulder and buttocks. However, it must not be applied to the breasts, or any areas of damaged or irritated skin. For an immediate contraceptive effect, apply the patch on the first day of your period. However if you are unable to apply the patch then, another method of contraception will be required for seven days by which time the patch will have begun working correctly.\u00a0 Wear the patch for seven days without removal. Once this period is complete, on the eighth day replace it with a brand new one. It is important that the changeover between patches is an immediate; failure to do so can reduce the contraceptive effectiveness of the patch. This weekly changing process should continue for three weeks after which time users should spend seven days patch less. The user may experience normal period like bleeds during this week, however this is a natural part of the process. Once this four week programme is completed the three week on, one week off patch cycle can begin again until the time you view fit to come off of birth control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to understand that the patch administers the same hormones as the combined pill and therefore represents the same risks for users.\u00a0 An extensive medical history will be required before prescription. Diabetes, high blood pressure and circulatory disease can be aggravated through the use of the pill due to its oestrogen content. Furthermore women who breast feed, smoke, migraine suffer or are over the age of thirty five and those overweight should be advised against this form of contraception. If your family has a history of heart attacks, strokes or thrombosis from a young age then other forms of contraception should be considered.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The patch has a 99% level of effectiveness when used correctly. Use of the patch can also make periods less painful, lighter and more regular much like the combined pill. However, use of the patch offers a number of unique advantages over the pill. Firstly, it is designed to endure most conditions with a waterproof design that allows for use in the bath or shower as well as during exercise. There are no pill schedules or restrictions which need to be adhered to, as the patch is constantly supplying the female body with the required dose of hormones. This therefore removes the risk of missing a pill or taking it outside of the allocated timeframe. In addition to this, the patch provides contraceptive protection even when users suffer from diarrhea or vomiting as the patch administers the hormones directly to the blood stream rather than through the stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The patch shares the same hormones as the combined pill which is known to cause some serious side effects for a small percentage of women. These include blood clots and potentially breast and cervix cancer. In addition to this, the patch can lead to skin irritations, headaches and an increase in blood pressure amongst users. The additional use of certain medicines used to treat TB, epilepsy, HIV as well as some antibiotics and anti depressants can lead to a lowering of the contraceptives effectiveness, sometimes rendering it useless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Contraceptive patch, otherwise known as Evra, offers users a slight variant to the pill. Small, sticky and beige it looks much like a nicotine patch, containing both oestrogen and progestogen which are continuously delivered to the body. The patch\u00a0 works in effectively the same way as the combined pill, through the dual process of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24\/revisions\/26"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caughtout.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}