Tags: Contraceptive methods, contraceptive patch effectiveness, Transdermal contraceptive methods, transdermal contraceptive patch, Transdermal contraceptive patch characteristics
The main objective behind preferring contraceptive patch is to restrain the mid cycle gonadotropin surge and preventing ovulation in an effective manner. Although ovulation inhibition is the crucial mechanism so far, contraceptive patch also perform on the other sides of the reproductive system in the following manners:
• Cervical mucus: converting it into thick, scanty, and viscid stuff, thus, prevents from sperm penetration, and inhibits the sperm capacitation.
• Reducing motility of the oviduct and the uterus, thus, restraining the transfer of sperm and ova.
• Reducing endometrial glandular generation of glycogen, thus, less energy is available to the blastocyst for surviving in uterine cavity.
• Decrease in ovarian sensitivity to the gonadotropin stimulation.
CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS
The patch is as effective as OCs if it is used appropriately. The numbers of women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy throughout the 1st year of typical and perfect use of the contraceptive patch is well-considered to be quite similar to the OC use.
MERITS OF THE PATCH
• The best part of preferring the patch is that it’s a once a week administration, thus, it is extremely convenient option for majority of users.
• Better compliance in groups of the entire age, but especially better among the adolescents who usually lack the OC compliance.
• Quickly reversible.
• Visible, verifiable patch.
• Less dysmenorrhea.
• Reduction in problems associated to androgen, acne, for instance.
• Reduced risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.
DEMERITS OF THE PATCH
• The patch is pretty noticeable and one can recognize it just with a bit effort even though privacy may be a concern.
• Patch should be replaced weekly, thus, time consuming and expensive option as well.
• Around 1 to 2 percentage of patches usually detaches and should be replaced.
• Doesn’t prevent from some serious STDs, such as HIV AIDS.
• Room temperature storage is necessary.
• Generic equivalents don’t exist at all and cost could be a matter of anxiety.
• Involves numbers of side effects, including headache, nausea, dysmenorrheal, and breast discomfort.
• Increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in the high risk populations, smokers aged 35 years above or women suffering from vascular disease, for instance.
