Birth control patch: Frequency Asked Questions

Yes, you sure can. It’s really rare that the patch falls off.

Unless you’re in a totally exclusive relationship and you and your partner have both been tested recently for every single STI, you should definitely use condoms with whatever other birth control method you choose. Using a condom with another form of birth control is called dual protection. It means you’re being super-safe and protecting yourself against both pregnancy and STIs.

For most people, the risk of blood clots when using the ring, the patch, or the combined birth control pill (which is the most common type of pill) is low. But smoking increases this risk. If you are over 35 and smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day, the combination pill, patch, and ring are not safe options for you. If you’re over 35 and you smoke less than 15 cigarettes a day, talk to your provider about whether these birth control methods are safe options for you. People who smoke can always use the IUD, the implant, the shot, the mini-pill (progestin-only pill), and any method that is hormone free (like condoms, for example).

One of the main ways hormonal birth control prevents pregnancy is by stopping ovulation—so the egg never leaves the carton, so to speak. The pill, the patch, the ring, and the shot are most reliable at blocking ovulation, so people using these methods may have fewer ovarian cysts. If you tend to get ovarian cysts, your provider may recommend one of these methods to prevent future cysts. /The progestin-only or mini-pill has an unpredictable effect on ovulation and may lead to more cysts. These almost always disappear on their own, but if you’ve had problems with cysts in the past, the mini-pill may not be the best contraception for you.

For women with high blood pressure, methods with estrogen–the pill (except for the mini-pill), the ring, and the patch–may make their blood pressure even higher, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Fortunately there are lots of highly effective birth control options that are safe and estrogen-free like the IUD, the implant, or the shot. Talk to your doctor about your condition and what birth control is best for you.

No need to worry, it's most likely just bits of dust and dirt catching in the adhesive that makes the patch stay on your skin. While the patch is in place there isn't too much you can do about it without running the risk of making the patch un-sticky. Once you take the patch off, you can try rubbing a little bit of baby oil on the marks. They should come right off with a little scrubbing.

Using a method of birth control with estrogen, like the pill, patch, or ring, increases the risk of forming a blood clot, but the risk is so low that if you don't have any factors that increase your chances of having a blood clot, you can safely use all types of birth control. If you do have an increased risk of blood clots because you've had one before you've had a stroke or heart attack, or you have a medical condition that increases your risk of a blood clot, like high blood pressure, then adding birth control with estrogen to the mix increases your risk too much and it's not recommended that you use birth control with estrogen in it. But that doesn't mean there isn't a birth control method for you!

If you can't take estrogen, you have quite a few options available to you. First you have the non-hormonal methods, like the copper IUD. You can also use any of the hormonal methods that only contain progestin, not estrogen, like the implant, mini-pill, shot, and hormonal IUDs, like Mirena, Skyla, Liletta, and Kyleena. These don't increase your risk of blood clots and are all really good at preventing pregnancy.

If you're worried about blood clots or don’t know if you have risk factors, talk to a health care provider about which birth control methods are options for you.

Patches fall off only about 5% of the time—so not very often. But if the patch falls off, no worries. You can stick the same patch back on if it's been less than 24 hours and the patch is still sticky. Or, you can just apply a new patch.

DO NOT use bandages, tape, or adhesive to make a non-sticky patch stick. The hormones that keep you from getting pregnant are mixed with the adhesive, so if it won’t stick, it’s also not going to be effective as birth control.

Try this: Make sure you don’t use any "lotions or potions" (you know, powders, creams, medications, etc.) on your skin where you put the patch. Even moisturizing after the shower can interfere with the patch sticking.

Some women do experience irritation from the adhesive.

Try this: You could try moving it to another recommended spot to see if that lessens the effect. You can also put a little over the counter cortisone cream on the irritated area and it will probably get better quickly. Or, if you’ve been moving it around, try keeping it in one spot (and watch Geraldine talk about how this has worked for her).

The effectiveness of almost all types of birth control will not be impacted by your weight. Two exceptions are the patch and emergency contraception.

For the patch, Xulane may be less effective if you weigh more than 198 pounds. Twirla, the other patch option, may be less effective at preventing pregnancy if your BMI is 25 or greater, and it should not be used at all if your BMI is 30 or greater because of decreased effectiveness and a potentially increased risk of blood clots.

When it comes to emergency contraception, over-the counter levonorgestrel-based emergency contraception, like Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One Dose, and others, may not be as effective in people who weigh 165 pounds or more. Ella, which is prescription-only emergency contraception, is equally effective in people who weigh between 165 and 194 pounds as it is in people who weigh under 165 pounds. But ella may not work as well if you weigh 195 pounds or more. The copper IUD and IUDs with 52mg of levonorgestrel (Mirena and Liletta) are the only emergency contraception options proven equally effective if you weigh 195 pounds or more. IUDs are also the most effective form of emergency contraception for everyone, regardless of weight.