The Ortho Evra patch, one of the most popular birth control methods distributed at ASU, may put women at greater risk for blood clots, warned the Food and Drug Administration last week.
The FDA approved updated labeling for the drug Nov. 10. The new warning label alerts health care providers and patients that the drug releases 60 percent more estrogen than typical birth control pills, which contain 35 micrograms of the hormone.
Ortho Evra is the only weekly patch that exists, said Health and Wellness Center Pharmacy Manager Carl Labbe.
"At present, our thinking is proceed with caution," Labbe said. "There are risk factors associated with blood clots, mostly seen in older women and/or in smokers."
For women under 35 who are healthy and don't smoke, the risk of blood clots is still relatively low, Labbe said.
On their Web site, the drug's manufacturer, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., stated serious risks could include blood clots, stroke and heart attacks, but these occur infrequently.
Risk for blood clots occurs with most contraception methods that include estrogen.
But the decision of which contraception to use needs to be made between the patient and her physician, Labbe said.
Miriam Yaqub, an art fibers sophomore, said she uses Ortho Evra.
"I was nervous about it when I first heard the news," said Yaqub, who decided to keep using the patch after talking to her physician Monday. "Until I hear something more concrete, I'm not going to worry about it."
Megan Faragher, a women's studies senior and facilitator for ASU's Women's Coalition, said if she were considering birth control, the warning would definitely influence her decision.
"If there was any question of safety with the patch, which apparently there is, I'm not going to go on it," she said. "That, however, doesn't mean that other birth control methods aren't effective."
In July, The Associated Press reported that Ortho Evra users suffer blood clots and die at a rate three times higher than women taking the pill.
"Just going by that, the numbers were pretty small to deduct anything," said Health and Wellness Center Nurse Practitioner Ann Ryan.
Reach the reporter at ann.censky@asu.edu.
