Modern women care not only about their appearance, but also about their he alth. That is why they approach the choice of a contraceptive with special attention. It should be safe for the body, not have a negative impact on the appearance, not cause additional discomfort. It is for this reason that the choice falls not on oral contraceptives, but on new barrier methods of protection. These include the transdermal birth control patch.
What is this?
A novelty in the field of pharmacology, produced by the Belgian company Janssen-Cilag (the main supplier of such a contraceptive in Russia), is intended for female contraception. In most cases, among those who have already managed to evaluate the benefits of the contraceptive patch, you can find positive reviews about it. At the moment, the choice of such devices is not so great. The pharmacy chain sells a contraceptive patch called Evra. It consists of a certain dose of hormones, whichreleased gradually.
Product composition
Pack contains 3 transdermal birth control patches. According to the manufacturer's instructions, each of them is designed for one week of use. One patch contains a certain dose of the hormone, 150 micrograms of norelgestromin and 20 micrograms of ethinylestradiol are secreted and penetrate the skin daily.
For those who are worried that it will be noticeable, it is worth mentioning separately that the product has a flesh-colored, slightly yellowish color. What's more, the patch measures no more than 5 cm and is easy to hide so that it doesn't stand out under clothing.
The product consists of the following layers:
- Outer. Made of low density pigmented polyethylene.
- Inner made of polyester.
- The middle layer is impregnated with hormones.
- The protective layer that is removed is polyethylene terephthalate and the coating is polydimethylsiloxane.
How the patch works
Immediately after the hormonal contraceptive patch has been applied, it starts working. When ingested, hormones prevent the onset of ovulation, affect the composition and consistency of the cervical secret and uterine mucosa. The body is not ready for pregnancy, and the thick mucus secreted by the cervix prevents the penetration of spermatozoa.
According to the instructions, the contraceptive patch is used from the first day of the menstrual cycle. A woman must rememberthe day of the week when I put it on for the first time. This is necessary in order to unstick it after the expiration of the period and replace it with the next one. The patch is changed on the same day of the week. As soon as all three are used, a break is made for 7 days. During this time, menstrual bleeding should begin.
Like any other hormonal contraceptive, the patch can regulate the duration of the menstrual cycle. For example, if you need to delay its onset, you can start a new package without taking a break. After six weeks of continuous use, it is important to observe the weekly interval. During this period, there will be breakthrough spotting or spotting.
The effectiveness of this product may be reduced if St. John's wort is used as a treatment at the same time. This is due to the fact that the latter is involved in the metabolic processes of sex hormones. Antibiotics have the same negative contraceptive effect.
Place of application
Since the peculiarity of this contraceptive is the form and method of use, every week at the same time you will have to stick the Evra contraceptive patch to a new place. This is necessary primarily to avoid the onset of side effects in the form of irritation on the skin. Applying the patch does not require any special skills, which is a definite plus.
According to the instructions and reviews of the contraceptive patch, there are only a few on the bodybest places to apply:
- inner thighs;
- buttocks:
- forearm, shoulder blades;
- belly.
It doesn't matter which part of the body the patch is placed on, the effectiveness will be the same. Before use, it is necessary to clean the skin, there should be no wounds, scratches, irritation. It is important to ensure tight contact of the patch with the place of its fixation. To eliminate the risk of dirt getting under the edges of the pharmacy and its peeling off, it is important to find an area of the body that is not subject to frequent friction and contact with clothing.
Contraindications
It is important to understand that the birth control patch cannot be used by everyone as a method of contraception. It is not suitable for women who are overweight (more than 90 kg). Age is also taken into account, for young girls (under 18 years old) and women during menopause (over 45 years old), this contraceptive is not recommended for use.
Contraindications for use also include:
- Problems with blood clotting, risk of thrombosis.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system, heart attack, hypertension.
- Autoimmune diseases, oncology.
- Heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Pregnancy, lactation and the first month after childbirth.
- Individual intolerance.
Women with very sensitive skin are more likely to experience skin irritation. Therefore, to place the patch, it is necessary to choose the part of the body that is the leastsubject to discoloration. To rule out negative consequences, you should consult with your doctor about the possibility of using a birth control patch.
Side effects
One of the main disadvantages of this drug is the lack of a 100% guarantee regarding its reliability in terms of protection against unwanted pregnancy. If you study reviews of the Evra contraceptive patch, then side effects include everything that is related to any other hormonal products.
The most common cases include:
- In part of the nervous system - dizziness, anxiety, depression, drowsiness.
- Digestive organs - diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, increased appetite, etc.
- On the part of the reproductive system - decreased sexual desire, dysmenorrhea, vaginitis, ovarian cysts, breast fibroadenomas.
- Dermatological reaction - skin rash, itching, acne, dry skin, contact dermatitis, eczema.
Also may experience: weight changes, increased fatigue, fainting, palpitations, mood swings. If a woman observes frequent changes in blood pressure during the use of a contraceptive patch, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. You may have to stop the drug for a while or change to another method of contraception.
With prolonged use of the patch, there may be a lack of intake of folic acid. Therefore, ifthe woman intends to become pregnant immediately after the end of the course, she needs to include foods or vitamins with this component in the diet.
Positives
One of the great benefits of using the birth control patch is that you don't have to remember to take your pills every day. This is especially true for those who have a busy and irregular work day. Active sports, fitness, swimming cannot be a reason to refuse this product. With it, you can lead a normal life and even visit a bath or sauna.
If condoms or coitus interruptus were used before choosing this method of contraception, then many note that the absence of the need to interrupt for additional manipulations makes the sex life more relaxed and rich. It is also worth noting that menstrual bleeding becomes less abundant, pain syndrome and the risk of developing malignant neoplasms decrease. This has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional state of a woman.
Unlike the tablet form, the contents of the patch do not enter the gastrointestinal tract, which avoids the onset of many side effects. The use of the patch also prevents erosion and ectopic pregnancy.
Efficiency
To achieve the desired result, it is important to carefully study the instructions for the Evra contraceptive patch. Like any hormonal product, it has a number of conditions to achieve the necessaryeffect. It is advisable to start with a consultation with a doctor who, taking into account the age and state of he alth, will be able to suggest whether this method of protection is suitable for a particular woman.
In general, the statistics indicate the high effectiveness of the patch, as well as any other hormonal contraceptive - 99.4%. Care must be taken to ensure that it does not peel off.
Product Features
Considering the disadvantages of using this remedy, the contraceptive patch is clearly not a way to protect against sexually transmitted diseases. This also includes AIDS, HIV infection.
Due to the particular shape of the product, immediately after removal, it is not recommended to throw the patch into the sewer or toilet bowl, there are still remnants of the hormonal layer on it. They can harm the environment. For proper disposal, the manufacturer recommends removing the protective layer from the outside and sticking it with the front side to the painted side of the bag, where it is placed. The packaging thus sealed should be discarded.
It may happen that the patch has peeled off. Then you need to pay attention to what day of use this happened. Also, as with oral contraceptives, the time distance from the start of use matters here. As soon as it was discovered that the patch had peeled off (it is important that no more than a day has passed), you must immediately glue a new one in the same place. The next one is to be replaced on the due date.
Sometimes it happens that the contraceptivethe patch "Evra" (the name of the trade mark presented on the territory of Russia) is peeled off, and the woman cannot remember when it happened. In this case, the likelihood of an unplanned conception is extremely high. In order to continue protection with the chosen method, it is necessary to start a new cycle, regardless of how many weeks the patch has already been used before. A new four-week cycle is counted from the day of discovery and the start of application.
Absolutely futile can be an attempt to return the patch to its place. It is unacceptable to use adhesive tape to fix it on the body.
Reviews of doctors and women
If you analyze user reviews, then many hear for the first time that effective contraception can be achieved using a hormonal patch. Women are accustomed to the fact that for the hormone to enter, it must be taken orally in the form of an injection, tablets, suppositories or a vaginal ring - that is, any product that enters the body directly. It is difficult to imagine that through the patch you can achieve the daily intake of the required amount of hormones. However, this is true, and medicine does not stand still. Therefore, you can trust the numerous studies and reviews of those who have already managed to try the effect of a contraceptive on themselves.
Reviews of doctors about the contraceptive patch agree that it is important to first undergo an examination, and only then choose this method of protection, since the presence of diseases or other abnormalities may be a reason for refusinguse of this form of protection against unwanted pregnancy. In general, many patients calmly tolerate its use and speak of it as one of the most convenient ways that the pharmaceutical market offers today.
If we talk about firsthand opinion, then in order to avoid trouble in the form of peeling off the patch, women are advised to stick the patch in the lower abdomen or in the area of the shoulder blades. Naturally, you will have to choose the wardrobe in such a way that it is not transparent in the part where the plaster is pasted.
At first, especially at the beginning of application, some women experience dizziness, nausea, increased blood pressure and irritation at the place where the patch is fixed. They advise to control their well-being for several days. If symptoms become more frequent and cause severe discomfort, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Due to the low popularity and low advertising, the patch is difficult to find in a wide pharmacy network. In the reviews of women who want to try switching to this method of protection, they note that it is first necessary to study the availability of offers on sale. Moreover, its cost may not seem quite affordable for most.
