<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"   Question Is that Evra thing \u2013 the contraceptive patch \u2013 a good choice? I am female, aged 23 and have been having sex with my partner for a year.   We have been using the &amp;#039;withdrawal method&amp;#039; but I know it is risky. My partner does not like condoms. I don\u2019t want to take the Pill because I&amp;#039;m hopeless at taking tablets. I have heard about a contraceptive patch called \u2018Evra.\u2019 However, I read on a website that it doesn&amp;#039;t work properly if you&amp;#039;re over 14 stone. I am slightly over this, but I am trying to get my weight down. Would the contraceptive patch be right for me if I could lose some weight?    Answer You&amp;#039;re quite right to decide to abandon &amp;#039;withdrawal&amp;#039; \u2013 which carries quite a high risk of pregnancy.  You have various other options, including:  the cap or diaphragm  the female condom contraceptive injection  the implant  You ask about &amp;#039;the patch&amp;#039;, the trade name for which is Evra. It&amp;#039;s certainly not a bad method of contraception, and it&amp;#039;s useful for people who forget to take pills!  But you do have to remember to put the patch on - it lasts for seven days at a time, and you use it for three weeks out of every four. Occasional pregnancies do occur - particularly among the overweight.  The manufacturer&amp;#039;s instructions to doctors say that efficacy may be reduced in women weighing 90kg or more - and 90 kg is actually 14 stone, 2 pounds.  However, don&amp;#039;t get the idea that 14 stone 2 pounds is a kind of &amp;#039;magic line&amp;#039; below which you are totally safe. Basically, the more you can get your weight down, the less the risk of pregnancy will be. Also, bear in mind that four years ago, in 2006, it was shown that the patch \u2013 like the Pill \u2013 can occasionally cause thrombosis (clotting). So if you have any \u2018risk factors\u2019 for clotting, then Evra is not for you. Finally, if you are in Scotland you might have a little difficulty in getting Evra, because the Scottish Medicines Consortium has ruled that on the NHS, patches should only be prescribed for women who \u2018are likely to comply poorly with oral contraceptives\u2019.  However, you could argue that that applies to you!  Yours sincerely Dr David Delvin, GP and family planning instructing doctor  Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As Birth control for someone who can&amp;#039;t take the Pill Can a breastfeeding woman get pregnant? Could I get rid of my periods? Do girls have to have an orgasm in order to get pregnant? How likely is it that I am pregnant? I\u2019d like an alternative to the Pill I don&amp;#039;t want to have this baby  Is &amp;#039;pulling out&amp;#039; safe? My partner is on the Pill, so do I need to wear a condom? My partner wants to go back on the Pill \u2013 even though I\u2019ve had a vasectomy Pregnant by another man \u2013 so I need to know about terminations Should I have a termination? Unprotected teenage sex Unprotected sex \u2013 am I pregnant? Vasectomy at 23? What is the best contraceptive method? When is it safe to have sex with my lover? Which contraceptive should I use?  Last updated 06.09.2010 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ask-the-expert/sexual-health/a2095/is-the-contraceptive-patch-a-good-choice/>