Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol, sold under the brand name Ortho Evra among others, is a

contraceptive patch A contraceptive patch, also known as "the patch", is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic oestrogen and progestogen hormones to prevent pregnancy. They have been shown to be as effective as the combined oral contra ...

containing the

progestin A progestogen, also referred to as a progestagen, gestagen, or gestogen, is a type of medication which produces effects similar to those of the natural female sex hormone progesterone in the body. A progestin is a '' synthetic'' progestogen. ...

norelgestromin Norelgestromin, or norelgestromine, sold under the brand names Evra and Ortho Evra among others, is a progestin medication which is used as a method of birth control for women. The medication is available in combination with an estrogen and is no ...

and the

estrogen Estrogen (also spelled oestrogen in British English; see spelling differences) is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three ...

ethinylestradiol Ethinylestradiol (EE) is an estrogen medication which is used widely in birth control pills in combination with progestins. Ethinylestradiol was widely used for various indications such as the treatment of menopausal symptoms, gynecological ...

. Text was copied from this source which is copyright European Medicines Agency. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. The most common side effects include headache, nausea (feeling sick), breast tenderness, and irregular uterine bleeding. Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol is a transdermal patch (a patch that delivers a medicine across the skin). For the first three weeks of the menstrual cycle a new patch should be applied every week, followed by a fourth week, which is patch-free. The patch-free interval must not be longer than seven days; otherwise, additional non-hormonal contraceptive methods must be used, such as condoms. Transdermal patches must always be applied on the same day of the week to the buttock, abdomen (belly), upper arm or upper back. The same area of skin should not be used for two consecutive patches. Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol may work less well in women weighing or more. Norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol was approved for medical use in the United States in November 2001, and in the European Union in August 2002. It is available as a

generic medication A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active ch ...

Medical uses

In the United States norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women with a BMI < 30 kg/m² for whom a transdermal delivery system is an appropriate method of contraception. In the European Union, norelgestromin/ethinylestradiol is indicated for use as female contraception.

References

Combined hormonal contraceptives Transdermal patches {{genito-urinary-drug-stub

Medical uses

See also

References