Contraceptive ring, patch approved. (News Briefs).

Two new hormonal contraceptive devices -- a vaginal ring and a skin patch -- have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The vaginal ring, called NuvaRing, is a flexible, transparent device that is inserted into the vagina to prevent pregnancy for three weeks at a time. It releases a continuous dose of estrogen and progestin, two hormones commonly used in oral contraceptives (OCs), and is as effective as OCs. NuvaRing prevents pregnancy in 99 percent of women in clinical trials, according to the FDA.

Women can easily insert and remove the ring, which is slightly smaller than a diaphragm. After three weeks of use, the ring should be removed, disposed of, and replaced with a new ring on or before the fifth day of a woman's menstrual period. If the ring falls out of the vagina and is not replaced for more than three hours, a woman must use a backup form of birth control for seven days until the ring's hormones once again take effect.

Side effects associated with the NuvaRing include headache, vaginal discharge or irritation, and, like other hormonal contraceptives, a small risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke, particularly among women who smoke. However, women who experience side effects that make them uncomfortable can immediately remove the ring without the help of a health care provider. The ring is manufactured by Organon, Inc., a Netherlands-based pharmaceutical unit of Akzo Nobel.

The contraceptive adhesive patch, called the Ortho Evra patch, is 20 square centimeters and delivers a one-week supply of estrogen and progestin through the skin and into the bloodstream. Its contraceptive effectiveness is similar to that of OCs, although the patch has been found to be less effective in women weighing more than 90 kilograms. (In clinical trials, 15 of 3,310 participants became pregnant, and five of those women weighed 90 kilograms or more).

The patch is worn continuously on the buttocks, lower abdomen, upper torso (front or back, excluding the breasts), or upper outer arm for one week at a time and is replaced on the same day of the week for three consecutive weeks. The fourth week is "patch-free," allowing women to have their regular menstrual period.

Side effects associated with the Ortho Evra patch are similar to those of OCs, including a small risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke, particularly among women who smoke. The patch was developed by the R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute and will be marketed by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., both subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson of New Jersey, USA.