Contraceptive Patches Hit the Shelves

Lots of women find taking the oral contraceptive pill a nuisance because it is easy to forget. If you are one of these women then the new 'contraceptive patch' might interest you. We have mentioned this new invention on the show previously, whist it was being developed, but doctors are now investigating how good it is. The patch, which is stuck onto the skin and looks like a nicotine patch, is changed every 7 days and slowly releases low levels of female hormones into the blood stream to prevent ovulation and pregnancy. 37 women recently tried the patch and in all cases it worked satisfactorily and didn't drop off ! So are there any negative effects ? Well, 6 of the women subsequently dropped out of the study, 1 because she found that the patch caused migraines, and the other 5 for reasons of 'personal choice'. New spray-on contraceptives which you apply like deodorant (December 2003)