Not one for the MEN!! (Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch)

Member Name: luseantom

Product:	Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch
Date:	02/06/05 (4228 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No unwanted pregnancys, easier to remember

Disadvantages: Can leave plaster type marks, No for everyone

I have been on these patches for well over a year now so I think that I am pretty qualified to review them. I am going to tell you my story of pregnancy and contraception from the beginning.

♥ MY STORY♥

When I was 11 I had an operation to remove a Cyst from my ovaries. When they did this they had to remove my ovary as well as the cyst. The doctors told me that I probably would never be able to conceive naturally, but at 11 you don't really think that these things would be a problem. As I grew up I met my to be husband, I was 15 when I met him and at the age of 17 I fell pregnant with my first child. I was very shocked as you might think to learn this especially as I didn't think I could have kids. Although it was a shock I was quite happy to be having a child although I was young. After the birth I was determined not to have any more children just yet so I had the contraceptive injections. I was on the injections for three months when I realised they were making me balloon. I put on 2 stone in 3 months.

I finally decided enough was enough and I couldn't keep having these injections. So after the second injection they told me to wait 3 months then to go back for the pill. So I waited and then one day I got them niggling feelings again the same ones I had felt before. I was pregnant. Although I didn't want another baby I knew that I couldn't give him up. So I went on with the pregnancy and 9 months later I had my second child.

That was it NO MORE, so I went on the pill. Now im not the best person to remember things, and so it happened again. My Daughter was born 9 months later and after a terrible pregnancy I was adamant that there would be no more. So after a trip to the local Family Planning Clinic the nurse told me about these evra patches.

♥ WHAT ARE THEY? ♥

The patches are a contraceptive containing synthetic derivatives of the naturally occurring female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. Ethinylestradiol is a synthetic version of oestrogen and norelgestromin is a synthetic form of progesterone. These hormones are similar to the hormones that are used in combined oral contraceptives (the pill) and work in the same way. These two hormones are contained in skin patches designed for weekly use. The two hormones work as a contraceptive by over-riding the normal menstrual cycle. During a woman's normal menstrual cycle, the levels of the sex hormones change. Oestrogen levels rise, causing an egg to ripen (maturation) and be released from the ovaries (ovulation). This causes levels of progesterone in the body to increase, preventing the release of more eggs from the ovary and preparing the lining of the womb for a possible pregnancy.

Now that's the medical bit over

♥ EASY TO USE? ♥

The patches are simple to use. A box contains three months supply of the patches. Each patch comes in a little foil wrapper. When opened the patch has a backing on it like a plaster. Peel off the backing and stick to your desired part of your body. Using the palm of your hand for heat you cover the patch for a few seconds to make sure it has stuck down securely. It's as easy as that. You wear this patch then for one week, so if you put it on, on a Friday you change it the following Friday and so on. When you take of the patch you just discard it in the foil wrapper of the new one and bin it. You are ready to place your new patch on now. You can either put it in the same place as the previous one or you can put it in a different place.


♥ WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE♥

The Patches are shaped as a square about the size of a 50 pence piece. They are skin coloured so they are not totally visible. The patch can be placed in one of four different parts of the body including the upper outer arm, upper torso (front and back, excluding the breasts), abdomen, or buttocks. The patches have been tried and tested by myself as I have done everyday normal things including bathing and showering and the patch has failed to come off. Infact the only time it has ever come off was once when I placed it on my bottom and my knickers ripped it off.


♥ WHAT IF YOU FORGET TO CHANGE IT♥

Unlike the contraceptive pill the patches are a lot more flexible when it comes to protection. With the pill if you forget to take one you have to use other contraception (i.e. condoms) for a week. With these patches as long as you are not more than 48 hours late in placing the next patch on you are not required to use any other protection. If one patch comes off half way through the week you just place another patch on and away you go.


♥ WHO CAN USE EVRA PATCHES? ♥

Evra is designed for use in woman from 18 to 45 but has been shown not to work well in woman who weigh 90 kilos or more, as the level of hormones released may not be enough to protect against pregnancy. Women who have just had a baby should wait at least 4 weeks from birth until using the evra patch. You can use evra immediately after having a miscarriage or abortion as long as the pregnancy was no longer than 20 weeks. Do not use Evra if you have suffered or are suffering from Thrombosis, heart disease, Migraines or unexplained vaginal bleeding.


♥ USE OF OTHER MEDICINES♥

Many women who use the pill will know that if you take antibiotics the pill doesn't work whilst you are on them. With Evra only a handful of antibiotics cause this. I have used then normal ammoxcillin that most doctors give as antibiotics and the evra patch has worked fine. Evra will be affected if you use Anti-HIV and other viral infection treatments, mood enhancing treatments and some antiepileptic treatments.


♥ MY VERDICT♥

As with Most things these days the patches can have unwanted side effects so they may not be suitable for everyone. I have however found these patches excellent. Because I don't have to change it everyday it is so much easier to remember. They come in a handy little box in packs of 3 so you can put a pack in your bag so you don't forget about them. You should have normal periods with these as long as you take thelast patch of at the end of the month to break for your period you shouldnt have any problems. I am the first to admit that I am not overly careful about contraception but after three children I really don't want anymore. They are really discreet and I have found the best place to wear them is on my lower abdomen this way no one sees them unless im naked, which im not very often. I would recommend these patches to anyone who is forgetful with the pill and doesn't want any more children or any children yet. As for me I will continue using these until im 26 and the doctor will let me be sterilised.

Thanks for reading

Lynz xx

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