I've been using the birth control patch since December and I actually prefer it over, the pill, simply because you only change it once a week on the same day and it stays adhered to your skin until you take it off, with mine sometime it loosenes up around the sides because of showers and things like that but I've never had one fall off before, it stays in place like it says...and yes it's very much like the pill, it puts the same hormones into your blood stream that the pill does, but it does it through your skin...so I love using the patch, hope this helps