Ortho Evra Information
Frequently Asked Questions about Ortho Evra™
Q: What is Ortho Evra™?
A: Ortho Evra is a contraceptive patch that women can wear on the lower abdomen, buttocks or upper body. The patch is applied once each week, for three weeks. A patch is not used on the fourth week during a woman's period. The Ortho Evra patch delivers the same drugs, norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol, that are used in many birth control pills. Like the pill, Ortho Evra does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted infections.
Q: How is the birth control patch different than the birth control pill?
A: While the birth control pill delivers a higher peak concentration of hormones because it is taken daily, the patch delivers a higher concentration of hormones over the course of a week thus exposing a woman to greater amounts of the drugs. Studies cited by the Food & Drug Administration indicate that women using the patch may be exposed to 60 percent more estrogen than women using the pill. Additionally, drugs from the patch enter the blood stream directly through the skin, rather than metabolizing through the digestive system like oral contraceptives.
Q: Is a birth control patch more dangerous than the pill?
A: The hormones in Ortho Evra are the same as those in birth control pills, but because of the increased exposure to estrogen and the method that the estrogen is delivered to the blood stream, the FDA concludes that the birth control patch may increase a woman's risk for serious side effects.
Q: What are the risks of using the Ortho Evra birth control patch?
A: One potential side effect is blood clotting or venous thromboembolism (VTE). Blood clots and blockage of blood vessels can cause death or serious disability. Using Ortho Evra may increase the risk of developing a stroke or heart attack caused when a blood clot dislodges and travels to the heart, brain or other parts of the body. Talk with your doctor about your risk before starting or discontinuing Ortho Evra.
Q: Who is at greater risk using the Ortho Evra birth control patch?
A: Some women are at greater risk of death or injury from Ortho Evra. Women who smoke, women who have had heart attacks, blood clotting, breast, uterine or cervical cancer or liver tumors among other contra-indicators, are at greater risk using Ortho Evra. If you know or suspect you are pregnant, you should consult a doctor before using or discontinuing the patch.
Q: What should I do if I am using Ortho Evra right now?
A: If you use Ortho Evra and have concerns about side effects, you should consult your doctor. Women must weigh the risk of serious side effects from Ortho Evra with the risk of an unintended pregnancy should they discontinue Ortho Evra without replacing it with another form of effective birth control.
Q: What if I have experienced a blood clot or other injury while using the patch?
A: After you have received the necessary medical attention and treatment, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your situation. If you were injured or a family member died after using Ortho Evra, you may have the right to compensation for your injury or a wrongful death claim.
Q: What is being done to inform women of the risks of using Ortho Evra?
A: In 2008, the FDA ordered Johnson & Johnson ™, the maker of Ortho Evra, to issue a warning label to accompany Ortho Evra that details the risks related to the drug after further analysis of data related to injuries and deaths alleged to be caused by use of Ortho Evra. Public organizations are warning women not to use the Ortho Evra birth control patch, including consumer watchdog group Public Citizen™, which says that there is no reason to choose Ortho Evra over older, better understood, and equally effective oral contraceptives.
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