Moisture tends to make it come off, and women who exercise a lot or live in humid climates often have difficulty with the patch. Obviously if the patch is always falling off, the woman is not absorbing much of the hormone. In addition there is a question of whether the patch may elevate the cholesterol in women, so an increased cholesterol level is a reason to choose the pill. And many women take other medications every day, and would rather just take another pill every day rather than have the additional hassle of wearing a patch and changing it. The patch may be placed on the skin of the lower abdomen or the buttocks.
Some women tend to have more reactions when it is placed on the lower abdomen.
The skin of the buttocks is slightly thicker, and reactions are less common here. Women who tend to have skin reactions should consider placing the patch over the upper buttocks. So if women become symptomatic when placing the patch on the buttocks, then they should try placing the patch on the lower abdomen in front. The two most common problems with the patch are that women may develop a skin irritation where they had applied the patch, or they may have trouble keeping the patch on the skin. If the patch continues to fall off, it is wise to thoroughly cleanse the skin and allow it to completely dry before applying the patch.