As technologies advance, women are moving past conventional forms of birth control and reaching toward new-age methods. The Northern Star will examine five alternative methods of birth control in a four-day series.

Today: Ortho Evra (patch)

Wednesday: Depo-Provera (injection)

Thursday: Intrauterine Device (IUD)

Friday: Morning-After Pill and Seasonale

Females who have trouble remembering to take their pill on time can turn to Ortho Evra, also know as “the patch” – a fairly new form of birth control that’s becoming more popular.

Christine Crimaldi, 19, an interior design major at Elgin Community College, said she highly recommends the patch.

“It’s convenient, and you don’t have to remember to take a pill every day,” Crimaldi said.

Not taking the pill on a regular schedule could prove harmful.

Sometimes birth control pills have a low dosage of hormones, so it’s important to take the pill at the same time every day, said Debra Fetting, pharmacy supervisor and pharmacist of the University Health Service pharmacy. If the pill isn’t taken at the correct time every day, its effectiveness can decrease.

Because of this, the patch seems a good alternative for young students, Fetting said.

The patch can go on one’s buttocks, arm or pelvic area, and can be changed once a week, Crimaldi said.

A user starts the patch on the last day of her menstrual cycle. That day will be the changing day every week, she said. The fourth week should be the week of one’s menstrual cycle. During that week, the patch stays off.

“Ortho Evra administers estrogen just like the pill would,” said Lindsay Gates, a senior certified pharmacy technician at Walgreens Pharmacy.

The components in most birth-control methods are similar. The process of putting them in one’s body is the difference.

“The same hormones that go into your body by taking the pill are put into your body through your skin instead,” Crimaldi said.

Although there always is a small chance it might not work, Crimaldi said she can rely on the patch to be effective and wouldn’t use any other method of birth control.

In her seven years of experience at Walgreens, Gates said she has seen instances when the patch has fallen off.

“In that situation, the doctor who wrote the prescription can indicate that a replacement is allowed,” she said. However, the patient must pay for the replacement.

Some students have expressed concerns about their patch falling off, Fetting said. In this instance, Fetting advises them to place the patch on clean, dry skin without any lotion or powder, which may make the skin slippery and cause the patch to fall off.

Ortho Evra offers a rebate program, Fetting said. The program will reimburse $12 to anyone whose patch has fallen off up to three times in a year, she said. A rebate form can be filled out at any retail pharmacy.

Because Crimaldi’s health insurance doesn’t cover her birth control, she pays $41.99 a month for a box of three patches.

Despite its hefty price, Crimaldi likes using the patch because of its low maintenance.

NIU students only have to pay $24 a month for the patch, said Mary Strohm, self-educator for Health Enhancement Services.