Overview

The ring is used to prevent pregnancy. It's a soft plastic ring that you put into your vagina. It's also called the vaginal ring. It gives you a regular dose of the hormones estrogen and progestin.

The ring protects against pregnancy for 1 month at a time. You wear one ring for 3 weeks in a row and then go without a ring for 1 week. During this week, you have your period. Or you may use the ring continuously. This means you don't take the ring out for a week each month. With this method, you won't have your period.

How can you care for yourself at home?

How do you use the ring?

• Talk to your healthcare provider about the best day to start using the ring. Usually, a ring is started during one of the first 5 days of your period. Ask your healthcare provider if you need to avoid intercourse or use backup birth control, such as a condom, for the first 7 days.
• Insert the ring according to the package instructions. You can't put the ring in incorrectly. It works no matter what its position in the vagina is.
• Note the day you put the ring in. Leave the ring in for 3 weeks. You don't have to remove the ring when you have intercourse.
• When the 3 weeks are up, take the ring out on the same day of the week that you put it in. Don't use another ring for 7 days. You will have your period during these 7 days.
• After the 7-day break, put in a new ring on the same day of the week that you did 4 weeks earlier. You may still be having your period. Extending this break longer than 7 days increases your risk for pregnancy.

What if you forget to change the ring or it comes out?

Always read the label for specific instructions, or call your healthcare provider or nurse call line. Here are some basic guidelines:

• If you leave your ring in for too long or forget to replace it on schedule, follow the instructions that came with the ring. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about what to do.
• Use backup birth control or don't have intercourse until a new ring has been in place for 7 days. If you had intercourse, you can use emergency contraception to help prevent pregnancy. You can get emergency contraceptive pills without a prescription at most drugstores and sexual health clinics.

What else do you need to know?

• The ring can have side effects.
  • You may have very light or skipped periods.
  • You may have bleeding between periods (spotting). This usually decreases after 3 to 4 months.
  • You may have mood changes, less interest in sex, or weight gain.
  • You may have vaginal discharge or irritation of the vagina.
• Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before you use any other medicines, including over-the-counter medicines and natural health products. Birth control hormones may not work as well to prevent pregnancy when combined with other medicines.
• The ring doesn't protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis. If you're not sure whether your sex partner might have an STI, use a condom to protect against disease.

When should you call for help?

Call your doctor or nurse advice line now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have severe belly pain.
• You have signs of a blood clot, such as:
  • Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
  • Redness and swelling in your leg or groin.
• You have blurred vision or other problems seeing.
• You have a severe headache.
• You have severe trouble breathing.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse advice line if:

• You think you might be pregnant.
• You think you may be depressed.
• You think you may have been exposed to or have a sexually transmitted infection.