What are the disadvantages of the patch?

You have to change the patch on time.

It’s really important to always change your patch on time, or you might not be protected from pregnancy. Using Spot On (our birth control app), setting a reminder, or marking your calendar can help you stay on schedule.

If you have a really busy life and think you won’t stay on top of your patch schedule, check out other birth control methods like IUDs or the implant that are super low-maintenance and almost impossible to mess up.

Explore different birth control methods to find the method that’s best for you.

There can be negative side effects.

Like all medicines, there can be birth control patch side effects. But they usually go away after 2 or 3 months. Many people use the patch with no problems at all. You can keep track of any side effects with our Spot On app.

The most common side effects are spotting or bleeding between periods, sore breasts, nausea, or headaches. But these usually go away after 2 or 3 months, and they don’t happen to everyone who uses the patch.

Birth control shouldn’t make you feel sick or uncomfortable. Luckily, there are many different types of birth control, so you’ve got options. If you keep having side effects that bother you, talk with your nurse or doctor about trying another birth control method. But don’t stop using the patch without starting a new method if you can, or you won’t be protected from pregnancy.

There can be some rare but serious risks.

Serious problems from using the birth control patch are very rare. People using birth control that has estrogen, like the patch, have a slightly higher chance of having a few rare but dangerous problems than people who don’t use birth control with hormones. Read more about birth control patch safety.

For more information about side effects and risks, talk with your nurse or doctor or read the package insert that came with your patches.