Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification 2025 Practice Exam – The All-in-One Guide for Guaranteed Success!

The correct response highlights the importance of considering age and cardiovascular risks associated with hormonal contraception methods like the patch. Women over 35 are at an increased risk for cardiovascular events, such as thromboembolism, especially if they smoke or have other comorbidities. This age group is more susceptible to the side effects of estrogen, which is often found in contraceptive patches.

In contrast, younger women, including those under 25, do not generally face the same level of risk and may use hormonal contraception safely. Pregnant women should avoid the patch altogether, but the primary concern in the given question is the age-related risk. Women with no history of smoking are generally considered to have a lower risk of these cardiovascular events when using hormonal contraception. Therefore, the focus on women over 35 emphasizes the need for careful assessment of cardiovascular health in this demographic before initiating the patch.