The Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch is a contraceptive patch that is applied to the skin that releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy. The Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch are thought to have the same effectiveness as the combined oral contraceptive pill.

The only currently available contraceptive patches are Ortho Evra. The patches are packaged in boxes of three and are only available by prescription. The contraceptive patch is often informally referred to as “the Patch”.

It is thin, beige, plastic patch that sticks to the skin. A new patch is placed on the skin of the buttocks, stomach, upper outer arm, or upper torso once a week for three weeks in a row. No patch is used in the fourth week. The patch releases synthetic estrogen and progestin to protect against pregnancy for one month.

Like all combined hormonal contraceptives, Ortho Evra works primarily by preventing ovulation. A secondary mechanism of action is inhibition of sperm penetration by changes in the cervical mucus. Hormonal contraceptives also have effects on the endometrium that theoretically could affect implantation.

Millions of women have embraced the ORTHO EVRA birth control patch with great enthusiasm because it fits into their active lifestyles. The most serious complication of combined-hormone use is having a blood clot in the legs, lungs, heart or brain.

Ortho Evra can cause serious or moderate birth defects. Do not use if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant, or if you miss two menstrual periods in a row. If you have recently had a baby, wait at least 4 weeks before using Ortho Evra (6 weeks if you are breast-feeding).

Do not use Ortho Evra if you have:
a history of a stroke or blood clot;
circulation problems (especially if caused by diabetes);
a hormone-related cancer such as breast or uterine cancer;
abnormal vaginal bleeding;
liver disease or liver cancer;
severe high blood pressure;
severe migraine headaches;
a heart valve disorder; or
a history of jaundice caused by birth control pills.

A woman who uses the Ortho Evra birth control patch is exposed to more estrogen than a woman who is on birth control pills. Estrogen can cause life-threatening blood clots and blood clot-related injuries, i.e. pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, or strokes. A woman using the patch is 3 times more likely to have blood clots and die than a woman who is on birth control pills.

The drug company knew about these increased risks before Ortho Evra was approved, but they did not disclose this information to the public or to the physicians. They did not include this information in the Ortho Evra label. The drug company even refused to conduct a particular study after the drug was on the market because they knew it would reveal the increased risks.

In its first 2 years on the market, at least 17 young women between the ages of 17 and 30 died after using the Ortho Evra patch. The following year, in 2004, 12 more young women died after using the patch. All of them died from blood clot related injuries. Most of them were in their late teens and early twenties. Dozens more survived strokes and other blood clot related injuries during that time period.

These serious injuries has resulted in a major recall of the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch and many women and families have collected millions of dollars from this. This is a serious, life-threatning problem, and if this has affected you or your family, you owe it to yourself to talk to a lawyer. Click here to get a free review of your case and get the money you deserve.