New oral contraceptive not such a bitter pill

A company in the United States has come up with the first chewable birth control tablet.

The drug manufacturer Warner Chilcott says the pill Femcon Fe gives women who don't like swallowing pills and want to carry their birth control with them another option.

The spearmint-flavored tablet is aimed at women who sometimes forget to take their pills;it contains the same hormones as standard oral contraceptives, and comes in 28-day cycle pack of 21 days of active pills and seven days of inactive pills.

Women will need to drink 8 ounces of water when taking the pill and a month's supply is expected to cost $44 wholesale.

The pill can also be swallowed without chewing and is now available with a prescription.

New birth control options are important for women as research has shown that as many as 47 percent of women miss one or more pills per month thus increasing the risk of pregnancy.

The risks associated with the new pill are similar to those of other birth control pills and include an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes, particularly for smokers over 35 years old.