How is the birth control patch different than the birth control pill?
While the birth control pill delivers a higher peak concentration of hormones because it is taken daily, the patch delivers a higher concentration of hormones over the course of a week thus exposing a woman to greater amounts of the drugs. Studies cited by the Food & Drug Administration indicate that women using the patch may be exposed to 60 percent more estrogen than women using the pill. Additionally, drugs from the patch enter the blood stream directly through the skin, rather than metabolizing through the digestive system like oral contraceptives.
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