Abramson, Brown & Dugan Attorneys

Ortho Evra has been touted as a safe, easy-to-use birth control patch that is more convenient than oral contraceptives.  Since its introduction in 2002, its maker Johnson & Johnson aggressively marketed the birth control patch.  What wasn't revealed at that time was Ortho Evra exposes users to 60% more estrogen than the average oral contraceptive.  This high dose of estrogen can lead to blood clots and strokes.  In 2005, the FDA issued a warning about the potential dangers of the birth control patch.

Now, a 17 year old Boston girl has died and her relatives are blaming the birth control patch for her untimely death.  The Boston Globe reported that the teenager died from a pulmonary emboli on September 28.  Adrianna Niedner was just starting her freshman year at Trinity College when she suddenly collapsed in her dorm room.  Her mother has sued Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Ortho Evra and wants the product removed from the market. 

According to the health advocacy group Public Citizen, 2 million women still use the birth control patch even though Ortho Evra side effects have been well publicized since late 2005.