 The birth control patch is a thin, 1 3/4-inch (4 1/2-centimeter) square patch of a beige colour that is usually located on the lower abdomen, buttocks or upper body. The patch’s hormones progestin and estrogen enter through the skin into the bloodstream and exclude any possibility for pregnancy or ovulation. These hormones make the release of an egg from the ovaries during a girl's monthly cycle impossible providing the inability of a girl to get pregnant due to the absence of an egg that can be fertilized by a guy's sperm. The hormones in the patch have also an ability to make the mucus produced in the cervix thicker hindering the entry of the sperm into the eggs. The hormones prevent a fertilized egg to be attached to the wall of the uterus. It should be kept in mind that the patch should be replaced weekly. Hormones provide proper work of all the organs of the body. The action produced by them on a human body is the same as the one produced by hormones made in our bodies. The birth control patch is the most suitable for women who do not take a daily birth control pill due to some circumstances.
The birth control patch should be applied on the first day of her menstrual cycle or the first Sunday since the beginning of her menstrual cycle. The patch should be placed on her skin on one of four areas: the abdomen, buttocks, upper arm, or upper torso excluding the breasts once a week for 3 weeks in a row. On the fourth week, when the patch is taken away, a girl's period begins. On the fourth week it is recommended to apply a placebo patch with no hormones in its content. The same effect can be achieved by taking the placebo pills during the fourth week. It does not matter when to apply the patch. Usually it is applied for the first time on the first day of their cycle. Women who bleed on Saturday can use it on Monday. The possibility of getting pregnant while applying a patch is 1%.
The effective work of a plaster is provided under the condition of using a new patch on the same day every week. If you use a patch on a Monday for the first time you are strongly advised to use your patches on a Monday. Before sticking a new patch it is strongly advised to remove the old one. The place of a new plaster’s location should differ from the old one chosen among four recommended zones. A new plaster located on the place of an old plaster’s location can cause skin irritation. When you observe your skin to be red, irritated, or cut you should not use a plaster. In the cases of a patch getting loose or removed you should consult your doctor or look through the instructions to the plaster. The same should be done if the necessity of the new patch’s use is forgotten. In such cases it is advised to use a backup method of birth control such as condoms for some time, or avoid sexual intercourse for some time to avoid getting pregnant. The patch that is not applied anymore should be replaced by another method of birth control 24 hours of removing your last patch afterwards. You can swim and make physical exercises with a patch. It can get wet but it should not be taken away to the end of the week because it damages its stickiness causing the possibility of falling off. The patch should not be trimmed or attached with tape. Avoid applying a patch over makeup, creams, lotions, powder, or other skin products because they hinder the plaster to be attached well and prevent the entrance of the hormones into the skin.
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