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A Ring That Prevents Pregnancy!

© Debbi Craig

Do you want an effective form of birth control that you don't need to have implanted, injected, or swallowed? How about birth control that has the same hormones as the pill, but you don't have to take daily? What if I told you that this new from of birth control is a ring that you wear for three weeks?

Don't get too excited just yet. First, this is not available throughout the U.S.; only about 6,000 doctor will be trained in the use of and supplied with NuvaRing. The F.D.A. approved the use of NuvaRing as an effective method of birth control recently. NuvaRing, manufactured by Organon Inc., is a plastic ring about 2 inches in diameter that releases low doses of hormones, similar to the pill, preventing pregnancy for up to three weeks while the ring is in place.

What it is and how it works

NuvaRing is a soft plastic ring about 1/8 of an inch thick and 2 inches in diameter. It prevents pregnancy by releasing continuous low doses of both progestin and estrogen. It is inserted by the woman at home and is placed inside the vagina for three weeks and then removed for a one-week 'rest' time. The ring releases 0.120 mg of etonogestrel and 0.015 mg of ethinyl estradiol per day for the three weeks that it is in place. The nicest thing about the ring is that unlike the diaphragm and cervical cap, exact placement is not needed. As long as the ring is in the vagina, it is in the right place. Studies have shown that NuvaRing is 98% effective when used as directed.

Reasons not to use it

If you are pregnant, or think you might be pregnant, do not use NuvaRing. Other reasons include, smoking, blood clots, chest pain, heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure, breast cancer or cancer of the lining of the uterus, cervix, or vagina, liver tumors or active liver disease, disease of the heart valves with complications, an allergic reaction to any of the components of NuvaRing®. Also, do not use NuvaRing if you think that you will forget to remove the ring, or will not remember to use a new ring.

Possible side effects

Side effects of NuvaRing are thought to be the same as that associated with the birth control pill. The severe side effects possible include blood clots, heart attacks and strokes, high blood pressure and heart disease, cancer of the breast, gallbladder disease, and liver tumors. The common side effects that have been reported from NuvaRing users include vaginal infections and irritations, vaginal discharge, headache, weight gain, and nausea. Other side effects that are possible include vomiting, fluid retention, rash, depression, changes in menstrual cycle, change in appetite, and abdominal cramps and bloating.

The copyright of the article A Ring That Prevents Pregnancy! in Birth Control is owned by Debbi Craig. Permission to republish A Ring That Prevents Pregnancy! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.