26 November 2003

by Anai Rhoads

AnaiRhoads.org - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a chewable contraception manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb Company on Friday making it the first of its kind.

Ovcan 35 will be available in a typical 28 day pack with 21 white active tablets and seven green sugar pills to keep the patient on track. While this version of the traditional pill can be chewed or swallowed, the same progestin and estrogen hormones apply.

According the instructions, if the patient chooses to chew the tablets, they must follow with eight ounces of water to ensure the pill is not lingering in the mouth. This pill can be swallowed as typical birth control pill packet instructions request.

The marketing battle to provide consumers with novelty methods of contraception is on the rise. The recent approval of the birth control Patch has some Pill manufacturers wondering how to compete. So while the newest fad may be a chewable birth control pill, it will soon be revealed that it may be less accurate.

The downside to Ovcan 35 is the concern of inadequate hormone intervention when chewed and not swallowed. Per the insert instructions, not having water available immediately as the patient is chewing the pill can result in a lower level of hormones to the body. This appears to raise the pill's failure rate thus possibly resulting in unwanted pregnancies.

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