The Contraceptive Patch
The combined contraceptive patch is a small soft plaster patch that you stick on your skin. It contains two hormones, progestogen and oestrogen, similar to the hormones in your body.
The two hormones primarily prevent an egg from being released each month. They also make it difficult for sperm to get to an egg and thin the uterus (womb) lining which makes it difficult for a fertilised egg to implant there. The patch is left on the skin continuously night and day for one week and then a new patch is applied to a different area.