14 DAY TRIAL // US health officials warned that Johnson & Johnson's Ortho Evra contraceptive patches contain much higher levels of estrogen than the oral pills and can cause the formation of blood clots.
According to a FDA statement (Food and Drug Administration), women who use Ortho Evra expose themselves to a level of estrogen 60% higher than those who use classic pills. In the same text it is said that the pills, which contain several variations with different hormone levels for use during one month, can contain a higher maximum amount of estrogen.
However, while at least half of the estrogen in a typical birth control pill does not get absorbed into a woman's bloodstream and it is expelled through the digestive system, in the case of the patch, all the estrogen enters the bloodstream.
According to the FDA, over the last years, out of the 4 million women trying the patch, 12 have lost their lives due to heart attacks and blood clots.
Ortho Evra, which releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy, is currently the only brand on the market.