Claris Law Legal Blogging Community

Editor: Robert Blanchard
Profession: Attorney at Law

Category: Ortho Evra Medical Information

The Ortho Evra birth control patch raises great concern because of its extremely high estrogen exposure to patients. Some studies have shown that the patch releases up to three times as much estrogen as birth control pills.

These levels of estrogen in the blood stream have been known to cause blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, strokes, and even death! Women should be warned of these birth control patch side effects and dangers, and not just told that it's a safe alternative to regular birth control pills.

The estrogen hormone is associated with an increased risk of blood clotting or coagulation. Hormonal birth control pills and the Ortho Evra patch contain these higher levels of estrogen to regulate women's reproductive systems by preventing ovulation. In many studies, high amounts of estrogen have also increased clotting activity in the blood.

These higher risks caused by much higher dosages of estrogen in the Orth Evra birth control patch echo the dangerous levels in the early birth control pills of the 1960s, which have since been banned by the FDA because of clotting risks. Because the patch releases estrogen over time, the dosage levels vary and may bring up to 60% more estrogen than a 35 microgram dose of oral contraceptive, which is a higher dosage.