Both methods use hormones to prevent pregnancy, but the way they deliver the hormones is different. You apply the patch to your skin once a week and forget about it. You have to remember to take birth control pills every day.
Whether you choose the pill or the patch, you’ll be equally protected against pregnancy. Before you decide, consider which method will be most convenient for you. Also, think about the side effects each form of birth control can have. It’s important to take certain things into consideration when deciding between the birth control pill and the patch.
Birth Control Pills
The pill uses hormones to prevent pregnancy. The combination pill contains estrogen and progestin. The minipill contains progestin only.
Birth control pills prevent pregnancy by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg each month. The hormones thicken the cervical mucus, which makes it harder for sperm to swim to the egg. The hormones also alter the lining of the uterus, so that if an egg does get fertilized, it will be unable to implant in the uterus.
Contraceptive Patch
The patch contains the same hormones as the pill, estrogen and progestin. You stick it on your skin in of these areas:
• Upper arm
• Buttocks
• Back
• Lower abdomen
After the patch is in place, it delivers a steady dose of hormones into your bloodstream.
The patch works just like the pill. The hormones prevent an egg from being released and change both the cervical mucus and uterine lining. You only need to apply it once per week unlike the pill, which you take every day. After three weeks, or 21 days, of use, you remove the patch for one week.
One possible problem is that the patch can fall off. This is rare, and it happens with less than 2 percent of patches. Usually, the patch remains sticky, even if you get sweaty while exercising or take a shower. If your patch does fall off, reapply it if you can. Or, put on a new one as soon as you notice it’s gone. You might need to use a backup form of birth control if the patch has been off for more than 24 hours.
What Are the Side Effects?
Both birth control methods are safe, but they do carry a small risk of side effects. Here are some of the more typical side effects that the pill can cause:
• Bleeding in between periods, which is more likely with the minipill
• Headaches
• Tender breasts
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Mood changes
• Weight gain
These side effects usually improve after you’ve been on the pill for a couple of months.
The patch can cause side effects similar to those of the pill, including:
• Spotting in between periods
• Breast tenderness
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Mood swings
• Weight gain
• A loss of sexual desire
The patch can also irritate your skin, causing redness and itching. Because the patch contains a higher dose of hormones than the pill, the side effects may be more intense than with the pill.
Serious side effects from both the pill and patch are rare, but they can include heart attack, stroke and blood clots in the:
• Legs
• Heart
• Lungs
• Brain
Risk Factors to Keep in Mind
Certain birth control pills contain a different form of progestin called drospirenone. These pills include:
• Yaz
• Yasmin
• Ocella
• Syeda
• Zarah
This type of progestin may increase your risk of blood clots more than usual. It can also raise the potassium level in your blood, which could be dangerous for your heart.
Because the patch delivers 60 percent more estrogen than the pill, it increases the risk of side effects like blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Overall, though, your chance of having one of these serious side effects is still low.
For both birth control methods, the risk of serious side effects is higher in women who:
• Are age 35 or older
• Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or uncontrolled diabetes
• Have had a heart attack
• Smoke
• Are overweight
• Have a history of blood clots
• Have been in bed for a long time because of an illness or surgery
• Have a history of breast, liver, or uterine cancer
• Get migraines with aura
If one or more of these apply to you, your doctor may suggest using another birth control method.
It’s very important that you don’t smoke if you take the patch or pill. Smoking increases your risk of developing dangerous blood clots.