›› Birth Control Patch
The birth control
patch is quickly becoming a popular birth control option these
days. Out of all the different hormone based birth control
options, the birth control patch offers a good combination of
convenience and ease of use. There is no injection involved,
nothing to insert anywhere in your body, and no pill to have to
remember taking everyday. For these reasons, a lot of women
are turning to the birth control patch.
The birth control patch works in exactly the same way as other hormone
based birth control methods, such as the pill. The patch
contains low amounts of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in a
form that are able to permeate your skin at a slow and predictable
rate. This patch concept has been in use for some years
already, made popular with nicotine replacement and pain management
therapies.
By using the birth
control patch, you are introducing the hormones into your body at a
slow and constant rate, as opposed to the pill which operates a bit
like a roller coaster ride. For this reason, the birth
control patch is slightly less notorious for the side effects that the
pill is known for. This isn’t to say that the birth
control patch doesn’t have side effects; indeed it suffers
from the same drawbacks as the pill, but the side effects are for many
people milder and less noticeable.
Most birth control patches available only have to be replaced once a
week. Having to put on a patch once a week instead of taking
a pill everyday is the main reason women turn to the patch.
They are usually fairly small, and can be placed on a number of
different areas of your body. They are waterproof, and are
designed to stay on until you forcibly remove them.
Like all other forms
of hormone based birth control, using the birth control patch does
increase your risk of heart related problems. It does so
typically by boosting your blood pressure, so if you are otherwise
perfectly healthy an elevated blood pressure won’t have any
adverse effects on you. However, if you already suffer from a
high blood pressure, any heart related disorders, or are a smoker, use
of the birth control patch could be risky. The birth control
patch is not more risky than taking the pill, getting injections, or
using any other hormone based method. If you are interested
in trying the birth control patch, you should talk to your doctor.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
