A Birth Control Skin Patch? Doctors Say It Could Be In The Future

BOSTON (CBS) - Researchers are designing a new birth control option for women that would not require a visit to the doctor.

To prevent pregnancy, many women have to remember to take a pill every day or have to visit the clinic every few months for an injection or have an IUD or other implant placed by a doctor.

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a long-acting contraceptive skin patch that would be a lot more convenient. It contains microneedles that release hormones into the body for more than a month. A woman could apply it to an arm or leg for a matter of seconds and then remove it because the microneedles break free from the backing of the patch and remain in the skin.

The patch is also not expected to disrupt a woman's menstrual cycles.

The patch has been tested on animals, but not yet on humans. Researchers say they would eventually like to develop a patch that could be applied every six months.