Oral contraceptives have been on the market since 1960, and enjoy great popularity. They are used by millions of women around the world, but usage prevalence varies: one quarter of reproductive age women in the United Kingdom take the pill, but only 1% of women in Japan.Oral contraceptives for women consist of a pill taken daily which contains doses of synthetic hormones.

The first chewable birth-control method, a tiny, spearmint-flavored tablet that also can be swallowed without chewing, has hit pharmacy shelves.

Femcon Fe, which contains the same hormones as standard oral contraceptives, offers a new option for women who don't like swallowing pills and want to take their birth control with them, according to Carl Reichel, president of drugmaker Warner Chilcott of Rockaway.

Warner Chilcott, which makes prescription dermatology and women's health products, officially launched the product aimed at women who sometimes forget to take their pills.

"This isn't a great leap forward, but I think this is a helpful step," said Dr. Lee Shulman, chairman of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, and an obstetrician-gynecologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and a professor at Northwestern University.

"I think it is a better approach in the group of women who have a very high rate of unintended pregnancy, which is younger women," Shulman said.

According to a number of studies, one-third to nearly one-half of women on birth control pills miss one or two per month, increasing their chances of pregnancy. With perfect use of combination pills, containing both estrogen and progestin, 0.1 percent of users become pregnant each year, compared with the 3 percent to 8 percent rate studies have found with typical use.

Femcon Fe, which the company says is just as effective as standard pills, comes in the typical 28-day cycle, with 21 days of active pills and seven days of inactive or "reminder" pills. The "Fe" stands for the chemical symbol for iron, which is included in the dummy pills.

A month's supply will sell for $44 wholesale, somewhat higher at pharmacies.

Femcon Fe is simply a chewable version of the company's Ovcon 35, a birth control pill that has already been on the market for about three decades. Reichel said the company initially planned to start selling the chewable contraceptive under the same name and had begun to distribute samples to doctors in late September. But when the company realized the two versions would confuse patients and pharmacists, it postponed the launch and changed the name and trademark.

The company said the package is convenient for women who want to carry it in a purse: a credit-card sized dispenser kept inside a velvet pouch, Reichel said. That can be a bit more discreet than the big, "dial packs" in which birth-control pills usually are sold.

Women must drink 8 ounces of water with the tablet. Like other oral contraceptives, Femcon Fe does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases and carries an increased risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke, particularly for female smokers over the age of 35.

Femcon Fe arrives amid a flurry of new contraceptive methods in recent years aimed at improving effectiveness through convenience or shortening or eliminating periods altogether. The first continuous-use pill, Wyeth's Lybrel, is awaiting federal approval.

Warner Chilcott, part of drugmaker Warner-Lambert Co. until it was acquired by Pfizer Inc. a decade ago, is best known for its Loestrin birth control pill, which shortens periods slightly.

The tablets contain 35 micrograms of ethanol estradiol, the estrogen form standard in oral contraceptives. That's the highest level in the category of low-dose pills, and that dose could help women bothered by breakthrough bleeding, said Dr. Laurent Delli-Bovi, a Boston gynecologist serving as a paid consultant to Warner Chilcott.

Femcon Fe also contains 40 micrograms of a second hormone, progestin, with a low enough dose that it could reduce progestin-related side effects such as bloating, depression, irritability and acne, she said.

Shulman noted many generic birth control pills contain 35 micrograms of ethanol estradiol, but said any new method that helps the women take contraception faithfully "is a win for everybody."

"I will, for sure, talk about this with patients," he said.

"Chewable contraceptive : Femcon Fe"   User Opinions

Lilo :   This is my second month on Femcon. I started taking it two month after I had my baby. The first month was OK, but right now it is a second month on a pill and I am 7 days "late" and I have spotting. May be it should take several month for my body to get back to normal. We'll see.

Sierra :   I have been on femcon fe for three weeks i have been bleeding for a week and a half now its so annoying has totally screwed up my husbands and i sex life as if having a four month old was not enough haha

Atlantic Sunshine :   i am in my 2nd month of femcon it is getting better i bleed the whole first month hated it but seem to be adjusting now it is not pleasant sometimes for us women that is for sure it suxs !!!

TK :   I have been taking Femcon now for three four months in a row. The first month I had my period the whole four weeks... it just didn't stop. Now it regulated itself a bit but I still get my period every 2 weeks... Still in the almost the third week of the active pills I get my period and cramps and they last over 2 weeks. IS THIS NORMAL????

Sheila :   I have been taking the pills for 6 weeks now. I just notice a little bit of acne. For the past 2 weeks I have been feeling nauseated, headaches and my period hasn't came down. Is this normal? I hope I'm not pregnant!! Please advise A.S.A.P

erica :   I had been bleeding for 25 dsys so my doc stop the bleeding with some meds, and then told me to take femcon to help regulate my cycle but i have had massive headaches, and i have been bleeding agian for 7 days. i dont know if i should stop or keep going.

Diane :   I just started Femcon this week. I was on Seasonique for 8 weeks prior. I was bleeding the whole 8 weeks on Seasonique, so my doctor took me off and put me on Femcon. I actually have lost weight, down a pant size, and my acne has cleared up these last few days. Sometimes it takes awhile to find out what works for you. Everyone is different.

Laura :   This is my second month of this pill, and last week noticed breast tenderness, nausea, moody, cramping just like pms, but I am not at the pms stage. Plus, I take Prozac for pms symptoms which have worked great until recently. My doctor switched me from Yasmin to try to help with hot flashing, but now I'm questioning if it is worth it dealing with these side effects. First month I didn't notice any effects but noticing them this month. Is this normal?

rena :   I have been taking Femcon Fe for 3 months now. The first month I wa very nauseated, but it passed. Now I have been taking it for 3 months, and I have been bleeding for 2 weeks including 1 week while I was taking the active pills. Is this normal and is this safe?

tricia :   i ve been taking femcon for a month no side effects but itchy a lot especially my hair

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