Birth Control Patch vs. Pills

Birth control patch and birth control pill are the two most common birth control methods. They prevent pregnancy by acting on the hormonal system. Birth control pill is the more popular method. However, birth control patch has recently gained wider popularity.

Identification

Birth control pills, also sometimes referred to as oral contraceptives, are designed for daily oral ingestion. After being swallowed, they are delivered to the digestive system and processed by the liver. The hormones stored in the pills are then released to the blood stream and circulate in the body. On the other hand, birth control patches are designed to deliver the hormones directly to the blood stream through the skin.

Function

Birth control pills and birth control patches share similar functions. Both are designed to deliver hormones to prevent ovulation. They often contain similar doses of estrogen and progesterone.

Effects

The main difference between birth control pills and birth control patches is the dynamic of hormone delivery. The level of hormones in the body rises then declines quickly after ingesting a pill. In other words, the level of estrogen is only raised for a short period of time. On the other hand, birth control patches deliver the hormones continuously, leading to an elevated level of estrogen in the body for a long time. Since high level of estrogen may has undesired effects, birth control patches may potentially cause more side effects than birth control pills. However, there is not yet sufficient evident to support this statement.

Significance

Both birth control patches and birth control pills have a similar failure rate: 5-8% of couples using birth control pills will have unplanned pregnancy in the first year of use.

Misconceptions

Many mistake that use of birth control techniques will prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). You still need to use condom when using birth control patches or birth control pills to prevent STDs.