How to use the patch
To get started with the contraceptive patch, you can:
make an appointment with your doctor - find a local GP in the UK
or make an appointment at your local sexual health clinic
To be sure it’s right for you, you’ll be asked about:
your medical history
your periods
whether you smoke
your blood pressure
your height and weight
your close relatives’ health
They’ll also explain the risks and give you a chance to ask questions.
If you order the patch from an online service, they’ll ask you to measure your blood pressure and provide your height and weight to calculate your BMI before prescribing you the patch.
What will you get?
There are 9 patches in each box and these should last 3 months. If it’s your first time using the patch, you’ll usually get a 3-month supply.
After 3 months, you’ll need to book a follow-up appointment where you’ll have your blood pressure checked and discuss any side effects. You can then get a supply for 6–12 months.
Real contraception experiences
I’ve found that sometimes the edges lift up but I just press it back down and it lasts the week. Sometimes dirt sticks to the glue – but it washes off pretty easily.
It's a magical plaster that I only need to remember once a week – works for me. When I was on the pill, I kept forgetting, I’m just disorganised – but the once-a-week thing, I can manage that.
I've been on the patch for years. It works for me but the glue can be pretty irritating. I find my skin starting to get itchy by the end of the week so I make sure I put it in a different spot each week. More difficult in the summer because fewer clothes. I used to worry that it would come off in the bath but it never did.
Where should you put it?
Stick the patch onto the skin in an area that’s clean, dry, and doesn’t have much hair.
don’t use it on irritated skin
avoid sticking it anywhere it might get rubbed off by tight clothing, such as your waistband
don’t use the patch on the skin of your breasts
it’s a good idea to change the position of the patch each time you apply a new one, to avoid skin irritation
you should still wear your patch in the bath or shower or when you go swimming
When can you start using it?
You can start using it at any time, though to be fully protected from pregnancy you should note that:
If you use it WITHIN the first 5 days of your period…
You’re covered immediately because the patch stops ovulation. At this time in your cycle, you haven’t yet started to ovulate and the hormones have time to get into your system and stop the next egg.
If you start it AFTER the first 5 days of your period…
You’ll need to use additional contraception – such as condoms – for the first 7 days because the patch takes 7 days to stop ovulation.
If there’s a chance you might be pregnant…
You should wait until your next period before starting to use the patch. If you have irregular periods, wait 3 weeks after your last pregnancy risk, and then take a pregnancy test. If it’s negative, you can then apply your first patch.
Have you taken emergency contraception this cycle?
When you can start the patch depends on what type of emergency contraception you’ve taken:
if you’ve taken levonorgestrel emergency contraception, you can start using the patch straight away
if you've taken ulipristal acetate emergency contraception, leave it 5 days until starting the patch. The ingredient ulipristal acetate can interact with the patch and make both medications less effective
Either way, take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after starting the patch.
What if you forget to put your patch on, or it falls off?
What if you're late re-starting your patch after your patch-free break?
if you leave your patch off for less than 8 days, then attach a new patch as soon as possible and continue using it as normal with no additional precautions required
if you leave your patch off for more than 8 days – attach a new patch as soon as possible and continue using it as normal – you should also:
consider using emergency contraception for any sex that you’ve had during or the week after your patch-free break (although the pill containing ulipristal acetate is not recommended as it interacts with the patch)
use extra precautions (like condoms) for the first 7 days after applying your new patch
What if your patch falls off?
if your patch falls off for less than 48 hours, attach a new patch immediately and continue using the patch as normal – no extra precautions needed
if your patch falls off for more than 48 hours, attach a new patch immediately and continue using the patch as normal – if it’s been less than 7 days since your patch-free week (if you take one) then you should:
consider emergency contraception for any sex you had during or the week after your patch-free week (avoid ulipristal acetate though, as it interacts with the patch)
use extra precautions until you’ve had the patch on every day for 7 days
What if you leave your patch on for longer than 7 days?
if you’re less than 48 hours late in changing your patch, change the patch as soon as you remember and continue to use the patch as normal – no extra precautions needed
if you’re more than 48 hours late changing your patch, change it as soon as you can and continue using the patch as normal – if it’s been less than 7 days since your patch-free week (if you take one) then you should:
consider emergency contraception for any sex you had during or the week after your patch-free week (avoid ulipristal acetate though, as it interacts with the patch)
use extra precautions until you’ve had the patch on every day for 7 days
Three ways to use the patch
You can choose to use the contraceptive patch in three different ways:
bleed every month
take a patch-free break every 3 months and bleed a few times a year
use continuously and not bleed at all
To bleed every month
apply your first patch and wear it for 7 days
on day 8, change the patch to a new one
change it like this every week for 3 weeks
then have 7 days without a patch – during this time you should have a bleed
after 7 days without the patch, apply a new patch (even if you’re still bleeding) and repeat the cycle
To bleed a few times a year or not at all
apply your first patch and wear it for 7 days
on day 8 change the patch to a new one
continue to change the patch to a new one every 7 days without a break
when you’re ready, have 7 days without a patch – during this time you should have a bleed (you can only have the 7 days without the patch and still be protected if you’ve used the patch every day for at least 3 weeks in a row)
What can you do to reduce your risk of pregnancy?
The biggest pregnancy risk on the patch is forgetting to wear one just before or after a 7-day break. If you don’t use a new patch for 9 days you can start to ovulate, which means it’s possible to get pregnant at that time.
If you’re not confident about keeping track of the break, you could skip it or have a 4-day break instead.
Problems with irregular bleeding
If you use the patch continuously without a break and you’re experiencing bleeding that lasts for more than 4 days, you might want to remove the patch for 7 days before applying a new one. Only do this if you’ve used patches on every day of the previous 3 weeks.
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