The same principle, another route
Patch and ring deliver the same oestrogen + progestogen pairing as a combined pill, and block ovulation in the same way. The difference is only the route: through the skin for the patch, through the vaginal lining for the ring. Both bypass the digestive tract, which makes them unaffected by vomiting and diarrhoea.
The decisive advantage lies elsewhere: there is no daily miss to make. A weekly or monthly action is far easier to sustain than a daily one, and that is where real reliability is won.
How to use them
| Patch | Stuck on clean, dry, cream-free skin — buttock, abdomen, upper arm or upper back, never the breast. Changed on the same day each week for three weeks, then a week off. It survives showering, sport and swimming. |
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| Ring | Flexible, self-inserted high in the vagina, left in place for three weeks, out for one. Its exact position does not matter. It can be removed during sex provided it goes back within three hours. |
As with the pill, the week off is not medically necessary: continuous use is possible depending on the product and on medical advice.
Effectiveness
Identical to the combined pill: under 1 pregnancy per 100 women per year in perfect use, around 7 in typical use. Failures come from unnoticed patch detachment and from delayed replacement.
When something goes wrong
- Patch off for under 24 hours: re-stick it or apply a new one, keeping the same change day. Over 24 hours: start a new patch cycle and use condoms for 7 days.
- Patch change forgotten: replace as soon as possible without shifting the change day.
- Ring out for more than 3 hours: replace it and add condoms for 7 days.
- Ring left in for more than 4 weeks: effectiveness is no longer assured; use extra protection and seek advice.
- If intercourse occurred during an uncovered period, consider emergency contraception.
The same contraindications as the combined pill
Patch and ring contain an oestrogen: previous thrombo-embolism, migraine with aura, uncontrolled hypertension, smoking after 35 and the other combined-method contraindications apply in full. The patch exposes you to a higher oestrogen dose than a pill, which weighs in the vascular risk assessment. Neither protects against sexually transmitted infections.