Accessibility Options
Pros
- Does not interrupt sex
- Can be worn while swimming, having a bath or exercising
- Women do not have to remember to take a pill every day
- The patch is not affected by having diarrhoea or vomitting because the hormones don't need to be absorbed by the stomach
- It can make periods more regular, lighter and less painful
Cons
- Does not protect against STIs
- Can cause skin irritation in some women
- Contains the same hormones as the combined pill, which in a small number of women can cause serious side effects such as blood clots and breast cancer
Remember...
No STI protection
Only barrier contraception, such as condoms, prevent STIs from being passed on.
Any sexual contact without a condom may pass on STIs.
Watch out for
Some things make the injection less effective - that means it doesn't work properly!
- If it isn't used according to instructions
- Forgetting to change the patch after seven days
- If the patch falls off and is not reapplied or if a new one is not put on immediately
- Use of some prescription medicines including some antibiotics, medicines used to treat epilepsy, HIV and TB and the complementary medicine St John’s Wort
The Patch
Protect Yourself
The contraceptive patch, also called Evra, is a small beige patch applied to the skin like a sticky plaster, which protects against pregnancy.
The patch releases two hormones, oestrogen and progestogen into the bloodstream through the skin.
It stops the ovaries from releasing an egg for fertilisation every month. It also thickens the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to get into the womb.
The patch is 99% effective when used correctly.
