Nuvaring benefits and side effects
What is NuvaRing?
NuvaRing is a flexible contraceptive ring that is about two inches in diameter. Once a month, you insert NuvaRing into your vagina where it slowly releases a combination of contraceptive hormones called progestin (etonogestrel) and estrogen (ethinylestradiol) and distribute them into your bloodstream.
How does NuvaRing work?
NuvaRing is put in the vagina for three weeks and taken out for one week to allow for your period. 1 ring will last 1 month.
NEW USERS should put in the NuvaRing among the 1st and 5th day of the menstrual cycle. You must use a back- up method for 7 days after putting in the first ring.
NuvaRing should be taken out on the same day it was put in, 3 weeks later. Bleeding should start two to three days after it is taken out. The next ring must be put in one week later even if bleeding has not stopped. If NuvaRing has been left in place for more than 4 weeks, you could get pregnant.
How effective is NuvaRing?
In medical testing with thousands of women, NuvaRing (when used as directed) has been proven to 99%. This means that when NuvaRing is used correctly, the chance o becoming pregnant is comparable to that of a birth control pill (about 1 to 2% a year).
What are the benefits of NuvaRing?
The low, steady hormone release of NuvaRing can make a difference to you.
• The low, steady hormone release of NuvaRing can mean a low incidence of side effects, such as headaches, nausea, breast tenderness, or breakthrough bleeding.
• NuvaRing provides steady, consistent hormone release over the entire month. This constant release means fewer hormonal ups and downs than daily or weekly birth control methods.
•NuvaRing is a birth control method that is designed to work with a low dose of hormones. Considering you may be on hormonal birth control for several years at a time, that’s an important consideration for some women.
How does NuvaRing feel?
Most women don’t feel NuvaRing. If you feel NuvaRing in your vagina, use your finger to gently push it in further. There’s no danger of pushing it up to far. While the nerve endings of your outer vagina are very sensitive to the touch, the ones in the upper vagina are not.
How does NuvaRing stay in place?
NuvaRing cannot get lost inside of you. NuvaRing cannot go further than the cervix.
The muscles of your vagina will keep the contraceptive ring securely in place, even during exercise of sex. On rare occasions NuvaRing can slip out if it hasn’t been fully inserted into the vagina, or when removing a tampon, moving the bowels, straining, or with severe constipation. You can check NuvaRing periodically with your finger.
What are the side effects symptoms of using NuvaRing?
The common side effects reported by NuvaRing users are:
• Vaginal infections and irritations
• Vaginal discharge
• Headache
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Sinusitis
• Weight gain
• Nausea
In addition to the risks and side effects listed above, users of combination hormonal contraceptives have reported the following side effects:
• Vomiting
• Change in appetite
• Abdominal cramps and bloating
• Breast tenderness or enlargement
• Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting
• Changes in menstrual cycle
• Temporary infertility after treatment
• Fluid retention
• Spotty darkening of skin, particularly on the face
• Rash
• Weight changes
• Depression
• Intolerances to contact lenses