Ortho Evra
Ortho Evra Birth Control Vs. the Pill
When the Ortho Evra birth control patch was first released in 2002, many women and their doctors greeted it as a breakthrough in contraception. Unlike birth control pills, the Ortho Evra patch is applied to the skin once a week, eliminating the difficulty in remembering to take a pill every day.
Birth control patch side effects quickly emerge
However, the convenience of Ortho Evra was soon overshadowed by its dangerous birth control patch side effects. Between April 2002 and December 2004, there were about 28,000 reports of adverse side effects among women who were using the Ortho Evra patch.
There have been at least 23 deaths among users of the Ortho Evra birth control patch, some in women as young as 14. As a result, many former users of the patch have filed Ortho Evra lawsuits against its manufacturer, Ortho-McNeil. These women claim in their Ortho Evra lawsuits that using the patch caused them to experience serious Ortho Evra side effects.
Dangers of the Ortho Evra birth control patch
Both the Ortho Evra birth control patch and the pill work by releasing a combination of progestin and estrogen into the body. However, in addition to its birth control function, estrogen is known to contribute to blood coagulation, which can lead to blood clots, heart attack or stroke.
When a woman takes the birth control pill, hormone absorption is lessened because the estrogen must be filtered through the stomach.
The problem with Ortho Evra and transdermal patches
On the other hand, because the Ortho Evra birth control patch is applied to the skin, estrogen is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. And because the patch is designed to gradually release hormones, the body receives a continuous dose of estrogen.
As a result, users of the Ortho Evra birth control patch receive about 60% more estrogen into their system than do users of the pill.
Ortho-McNeil fails to issue an Ortho Evra recall
A study conducted in 2005 found that, compared with users of the pill, users of the Ortho Evra patch faced double or even triple the risk of clotting and other birth control patch side effects. Despite new revelations that Ortho-McNeil knew about the potential risk of Ortho Evra birth control patch side effects during clinical trials of the drug and despite the numerous Ortho Evra lawsuits that have been filed against the company, no Ortho Evra recall has yet been issued.
