Four decades after it first received a licence, the pill may be about to be supplanted as the world's surest and most convenient method of birth control.
The food and drug administration in the United States has just given its official approval to the once-monthly contraceptive patch, which neatly delivers hormones into the body on a slow-release system through the skin.
The biggest drawback of the pill has always been the need to remember to take it every day or run the risk of ovulating and falling pregnant.
The position of the patch should ideally be changed once a week, but is removed only after three weeks to allow the woman to have her period.
Family planning experts are enthusiastic. "It will be enormously useful," said a spokeswoman for the Family Plan ning Association. "It will mean that women won't have to think about taking tablets every day."
But those who thought it would instantly cut the contraception failure rate and reduce unwanted pregnancies were surprised by the trials, which showed that there was little difference between those on the pill and those on the patch in the proportions of women who became pregnant.
The patch, called Ortho-Evra, has been developed by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
It works on the same principle as the nicotine patch, which has become popular among people attempting to stop smoking.
It is the size of a book of matches and can be stuck on the lower abdomen, the buttocks or the upper part of the body. However, it must never be worn on the breasts, the FDA says, which are sensitive to hormonal changes.
The patch has been designed to stick firmly in place even while bathing and swimming, but if it does come off - as it did in 5% of trials - it can easily be reapplied.
The manufacturers expect it to go on sale in the US next year. Craig Rothenberg, vice-president of Johnson & Johnson, said the patch had been submitted to the European licensing authorities for approval. However, he was not able to say when it might get a licence.
Mr Rothenberg said that it would be recommended that women move the position of the patch each week. But this is not crucial, he said.
"It is nothing to do with safety or efficacy. A small percentage of women in the trials experienced some skin irritation," he said.
Although the patch will allow many women to forget about their contraception most of the time, it will not work for everyone. Those weighing more than 14 stone may not get a high enough dose of hormones from it, the FDA warned.
It has the same side-effects and risks as the pill, which can include a small chance of blood clots, heart attack and stroke, particularly in those who smoke.
The patch is expected to cost about $40 a month in the US, a figure similar to that of the oral contraceptive.
If given a licence in Europe, the patch is highly likely to be prescribed on the NHS.
