A Canadian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows a new hormonal contraceptive skin patch may be easier to use than the daily oral birth control pill. The 7-day patches are worn for three consecutive weeks, followed by one patch-free week, compared to the daily dose of the oral contraceptive. The study found 88 percent of women complied with the patch dosage, versus 78 percent who followed the correct pill regiment. Of the 1,400 women who participated in the study, 800 wore the patch and 600 took the pill–there were 5 pregnancies reported from patch users and 7 reported from pill users–while the difference is not significant, researchers say women’s ability to comply with the weekly dosage instead of the daily dosage may contribute to the patch contraceptive’s success. Side effects from the two forms of birth control were similar.
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