Contraceptive vaginal ring
The contraceptive vaginal ring protects against pregnancy for a month. It is also known as the NuvaRing.
How does it work?
- The vaginal ring is a flexible ring that you insert into your vagina yourself. You can’t feel it.
- You leave the ring in your vagina for 3 weeks. After that, you remove it and have a ring-free week. You’re still protected against pregnancy during that week.
- A contraceptive vaginal ring contains 2 hormones: progestogen and oestrogen.
- The progestogen makes sure you don’t ovulate, so no egg is released. It also thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it more difficult for sperm to reach the egg. And it prevents a fertilised egg from implanting itself in the uterus.
- The oestrogen makes sure you have a bleed (like a period) when you take the ring out after 3 weeks. So you don’t usually have any unexpected bleeding at other times.
- The contraceptive vaginal ring is just as reliable as the pill.
How to use it
- Squeeze the flexible ring between 2 fingers and gently insert it as far as you can into your vagina.
- Leave the ring in your vagina for 3 weeks.
- Take the ring out after 3 weeks and throw it away.
- Wait for 1 week before inserting a new ring. You may bleed a little during that week.
- After the ring-free week, put in a new ring.
- Put the date for inserting a new ring in your diary.
- If you feel the ring during penis-in-vagina sex, you can remove it from your vagina before or during sex. Put the ring back in your vagina within 3 hours. If you do it later than that, you’re no longer protected against pregnancy.
Where can you get the vaginal ring?
Ask your doctor or a Sense doctor for a prescription for the vaginal ring. You can then get your box of rings at a pharmacy.
Do you want to avoid a monthly bleed?
You can skip the ring-free week. Just replace the ring with a new one after 3 weeks. Then you won’t have a bleed. It is not unhealthy – you don’t need to bleed every month. If you regularly skip a ring-free week, you may have some unexpected bleeding or spotting.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- You only have to think about it twice a month.
- You know exactly when you’ll have a bleed.
- You can postpone the bleed.
- The ring is even reliable if you vomit or have diarrhoea.
- No one can see that you’re using contraception.
- You can’t feel the ring.
Disadvantages:
- Sometimes you may have side effects such as headaches and tender breasts.
- You could forget to insert a new ring after 4 weeks.
- The ring doesn’t protect against STIs.
- You have a slightly higher risk of serious side effects such as blood clots.
- If you don’t like touching your vagina, the ring may not be the right choice for you.
Are there any side effects?
When you first start using a vaginal ring, you might have side effects like:
- headaches
- irregular blood loss
- painful breasts
- nausea
- low moods
- weight gain
- reduced sex drive
Usually, the side effects disappear after a couple of months. If a side effect becomes very unpleasant, go to your doctor or the Sense clinic.
What to do if something goes wrong
The ring has fallen out of your vagina
Put the ring back in within 3 hours. Then you are still protected.
You forgot to insert a new ring
Put the ring in as soon as possible. The vaginal ring can be left out for no more than 3 hours, except during the ring-free week.
You inserted a ring after 3 hours
Put a new ring in. But be aware of this: for the first 7 days you’re not fully protected against pregnancy. So use condoms when you have penis-in-vagina sex.
You forgot to remove the ring after 3 weeks
Leaving the ring in during the ring-free week is not a problem. Just shorten the ring-free break. Or put a new ring in straightaway and skip the ring-free week.
When do you run the risk of pregnancy?
If you stop using the contraceptive vaginal ring, or insert a new one too late, you could get pregnant.