TresSugar

How Does Hormonal Birth Control Prevent Pregnancy?

DearSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Many women use hormonal birth control to prevent pregnancy because it is considered to be the most effective method. The Pill is just one kind - the Patch and the NuvaRing contain hormones too.

The NuvaRing, the Patch, and some types of oral contraceptives contain a combination of 2 hormones - estrogen and progestin. Some pills can contain only progestin, but these tend to be less effective.

Estrogen and progestin are hormones that are already found in the female body but when a woman uses hormonal birth control, her body sees that there is already enough hormone in the bloodstream, so it decides that it doesn't need to produce anymore.

These kinds of birth control give your body a stable dose of hormones each day, so the levels in the body don't change. It's the fluctuation of hormones that make ovulation happen. The reason hormonal birth control works so well is because the stable levels of hormones prevent you from ovulating. If your ovaries don't release any eggs, then sperm can't fertilize them and you can't get pregnant.

Dear's Advice: If you're using hormonal birth control and you don't want to get pregnant, be responsible and remember to use it properly and consistently. Missing pills, or forgetting to change the NuvaRing or the Patch can cause you to ovulate resulting in an unplanned pregnancy.

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Group Urging FDA to Pull Birth Control Patch

DearSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 -0700

If any of you ladies use Orth-Evra (the patch), I may have some bad news for you. A US advocacy group has filed a petition urging the FDA to pull the patch from the market. Why? Studies have found that using the patch can increase a woman's chances of dangerous blood clots. These clots can trigger life-threatening heart attacks or strokes, especially if you are a smoker. Of course the risk of blood clots is common with all hormonal birth control, but clots are twice as likely to occur in women who are using the patch. This type of birth control can expose a woman to 60 percent more estrogen than birth control pills, which is pretty scary.

In its defense, the FDA feels that the risk of developing a clot is low - for every 10,000 women who use hormonal birth control for one year, three to five of them will develop a blood clot. Also, Ortho Women’s Health & Urology, the Johnson & Johnson division that makes the patch, believes that there are risks and benefits to using the patch, just like there are with other types of hormonal birth control. But it seems the risk is higher with the patch.

This makes me a little wary; how about you? If you use Ortho-Evra or are thinking about using it, talk to your gynecologist and get his or her advice. There may be a better birth control option out there for you.

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What's the Deal With the Patch?

DearSugar — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 08:00:00 -0700

All the women I know who don't want to get pregnant are on some type of hormonal birth control, because it's an easy, reliable and an extremely effective form of birth control (besides abstaining from sex altogether of course).

The Pill is great and all, but you have to remember to take it every day. The NuvaRing is also a hormonal birth control, but I've heard a few women complain about it falling out, or that their partner could feel it which leaves us with Ortho-Evra (more commonly known as the Patch).

Just like the Pill and the NuvaRing, the hormones found in the patch prevent you from ovulation. You simply have to put on a new patch once a week, for 3 consecutive weeks each month and then go "patch-free" the fourth week when you get your fake period.

What's Great:

It's just as effective as the Pill (99%) if used correctly.
It's discreet. You can wear it on 1 of 4 areas - upper outer arm, upper torso (front and back, excluding the breasts), abdomen, or your booty.
You can bathe, shower, swim, sweat, or work out with it.

To hear some drawbacks, read more

Drawbacks:

As with all hormonal birth control, there are serious risks involved, including blood clots and stroke. Also, the risk of heart attacks is increased if you smoke cigarettes while using the Patch.
It can leave a sticky mark on your skin, like band-aids do.
You have to check it everyday to make sure it's adhered to your skin.
Sometimes it can peel or fall off. If it's been off for less than 24 hours, just reapply a new patch and you are still protected against pregnancy. If it has been more than 24 hours, you have to apply a new patch, and use a backup method of birth control (like condoms) for the next 7 days.
The Patch does NOT protect against HIV or other STIs.

Dear's Advice: The FDA has warned women that since Ortho-Evra contains more hormones than regular birth control pills, they are at a greater risk of developing blood clots and other serious side effects. For most doctors, the Patch isn't the first form of birth control they'd suggest so if you are interested, talk to your doctor about the potential risks and whether it is right for you.

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