A Brief History of the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch
In April 2002, Johnson & Johnson introduced the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch, which is promoted as being more convenient then the Pill due to its weekly application for three consecutive weeks. Unlike oral birth control, which undergoes first-pass metabolism in the liver, the progestin and estrogen in the Patch are released directly into the bloodstream. The Patch was marketed to consumers as providing the same safety profile and efficacy as the birth control pill in preventing pregnancy, but with more convenience than birth control pills because it is worn on the skin for three consecutive weeks, with the fourth week being "Patch free." The aggressive marketing campaign, often describing Ortho Evra as "the Pill in a Bandaid," resulted in sales of more than $424 million in 2005, based on 9.3 million prescriptions.
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