WASHINGTON (AP) — Risks of blood clots in legs and lungs are twice as high for women using the birth-control patch instead of the pill, says a study reported by the drug maker and the Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Daniel Shames of the FDA said Friday the new findings don't require immediate action by the government, but he urged concerned women to discuss the risk with their physicians.
One new study found users of the Ortho Evra patch had twice the risk of clots compared with women taking birth-control pills, although a second analysis found no difference in risk between the two forms of birth control.