Ortho McNeil, makers of the popular birth-control patch Ortho Evra, are now warning millions of women that the patch exposes them to significantly higher doses of hormones, putting them at greater risk for blood clots and other serious side effects.

The warning follows reports from The Associated Press

The warning from the Johnson and Johnson subsidiary says women using the patch will be exposed to about 60 percent more estrogen than those using birth-control pills. Through the patch, hormones get into the bloodstream and are removed from the body differently than those from pills.

Four months ago, citing federal death and injury reports, the AP

Ortho McNeil spokeswoman Bonnie Jacobs says the warning speaks for itself and the company has been cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration, which distributed the new warning to health care providers.

According to the AP

Several lawsuits have been filed by families of women who died or suffered blood clots while using the patch.