 The contraceptive patch is a small, slim, coloured patch. It’s nearly 5cm x 5cm in size. You stick it on your skin and it releases two hormones – estrogen and progestogen into the bloodstream. The contraceptive patch is a form of hormonal contraception that is worn by a woman to stop her getting pregnant when she has sex. These are similar to the natural hormones that women produce in their ovaries. The patch obtainable in the UK is known as Evra.
However, like barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms and others, the contraceptive patch does not protect you from getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The contraceptive patch is alike to the pill. Like the pill, the contraceptive patch staves off from pregnancy. The one difference is that the pill you need to swallow and patch you need to stick to you skin. And in such way patch provides the hormones through your skin
The usage of contraceptive patch
The patch can be worn on your stomach, back, buttocks or the arms. The most important thing that is your skin should be clean, dry, and not very hairy at that place where you want to put the patch. But you shouldn’t use it on your breasts. Also you shouldn’t use it on that place of your body which is sore or irritated or can be rubbed
The difference between the pill and the patch is: Pill you need to take every day whereas the one and the same patch you can carry for weeks. But the patch you should change on the same day (some people called such day “Patch Change Day”)
You claim a new patch once a week, every week for three weeks. It means 21 days. Then you stop using the patch for seven days, so called patch-free week. All this has a name of a patch cycle.
The first week. You start the patch cycle by use a new patch. Keep this patch on for seven days. Do not leave the same patch on for more than seven days and use only one patch.
The second week. Transfer the patch and use a new one immediately. It called a change day. It will be the same day of the week as the start day.You can change the patch at any time of the day. Keep this patch on for seven days.
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