Birth Controls

By Carole Buia

The market for BIRTH CONTROL DEVICES is positively fertile, with several new products jostling for shelf space. They work like the Pill, secreting the same hormones--estrogen and the synthetic progestin--that are bad news as long-term therapy for postmenopausal women but are still considered relatively safe as contraceptives.

Ortho-McNeil's Ortho Evra is a squarish adhesive patch that sticks onto the body and lasts a week. Organon's NuvaRing is a clear plastic hoop inserted like a tampon and effective for three weeks. The package includes a clock to remind the user when to remove the ring. "These products are designed for women who don't want to think about contraception on a daily basis," says New York University Medical Center's Dr. Michael Silverstein.

--By Carole Buia