Description
The birth control ring is a small flexible ring you place vaginally once a month to prevent pregnancy. During that time it releases hormones continuous through the day and night.
There are two rings – Nuvaring (generic is EluRyng) and Annovera.
How Does NuvaRing Work?
Each NuvaRing lasts for up to 5 weeks. You take your old NuvaRing out of your vagina and put in a new one about once a month, depending on the ring schedule you choose. You can also use NuvaRing to safely skip your period if you want to.
How Does Annovera work?
One Annovera ring lasts for 1 year (13 cycles). You put the Annovera ring in your vagina for 21 days (3 weeks), then take it out for 7 days — Annovera comes with a case to safely store it during your ring-free week. After 7 ring-free days, put Annovera back in your vagina.
Efficacy
When used perfectly, the ring is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. However, because it’s easy to make a mistake, its typical use effectiveness is about 93% — meaning around 7 out of 100 people using the ring may get pregnant each year.
Using the ring on schedule is key to making it work as well as possible. Even with perfect use, there’s still a small chance of pregnancy, but it’s very low.
Side Effects
Like all medicines, the birth control ring can cause some side effects. Many people use it without any problems, and for those who do, most side effects improve or go away within 2–3 months. You can track any changes or symptoms with our app.
Common side effects may include:
- Spotting or bleeding between periods
- Breast tenderness
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Increased vaginal wetness
These effects don’t happen to everyone and often resolve on their own.
Birth control should not make you feel unwell. If side effects continue to bother you after 3 months, talk with your nurse or doctor about other birth control options. Do not stop using the ring without switching to another method first, or you may lose protection against pregnancy.
Rare but serious risks:
Although very uncommon, birth control methods containing estrogen (including the ring) can slightly increase the risk of certain serious conditions. For full details, read the package insert that came with your birth control ring or talk with your nurse or doctor.
