10/23/09
Everything You Need to Know About the Nuva Ring

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City and she answers your medical questions here once every two weeks. To ask her your own question (not about the Nuva Ring, please), click here.

When it comes to hormonal birth control, I get more questions about the NuvaRing than any other method — for proof, just check out the comments sections of my posts “Tell Me About the Nuva Ring” and “Does the Nuva Ring Deserve Its Bad Press.” The ring just doesn’t seem to be as intuitive as the once-a-day-every-day tyranny of the birth control pill. Most women’s questions focus on the timing of the ring, and what happens if their schedule gets thrown off. So, since Em & Lo have put a moratorium on Nuva Ring questions for the time being, here are the 14 points about the Nuva Ring that should hopefully answer any and all questions.

1. When to start it: You can start the ring any time you want…

  • If you’re starting it with your period, put in the ring during the first 5 days of bleeding.
  • If you’re starting it later than that, or totally off your period, take a pregnancy test first. If negative, begin the ring that day.
  • If you’re switching to the ring from the pill or patch (and you completed your pack of pills/box of patches), you can place the ring on the day you would have started your new pack of pills or box of patches.

2. How soon you’re protected: It depends on when you started the ring…

  • If you place the ring on the first day of your period, you’re protected immediately.
  • If you started the ring at any other time, you need to use condoms for 7 days for maximum contraception protection.
  • If you directly switched from the pill or patch to the ring (and you completed your pack of pills/box of patches), you’re protected immediately.

3. The minimum you must leave it in: The ring needs to be in your body for 3 straight weeks. Don’t take it out early if you start bleeding earlier than you expect — the ring needs its three weeks to work. If you remove the ring before the three weeks are up, you’re at risk of pregnancy that cycle.

4. The maximum it can stay in: The ring has enough hormones so that it may be left inside for up to 5 weeks and still be effective. So you’ve got lots of flexibility in how long the ring is in. And you don’t need to use the ring for the same amount of time each cycle — some months you may leave it in 3 weeks, some up to 5 weeks — your body will adjust. But if it’s left in longer than five weeks, you’re now at risk of pregnancy.

5. How long you can leave the old ring out before you put a new one in: When switching between old and new rings, the device cannot be out of your body for more than 7 days — in other words, you need to put a new ring back in by the same day of the week that you removed the old one. This rule holds even if you’re still bleeding — the new ring must be reinserted within a week. (If you want to shorten your ring-free week and, say, put a new one in after 3 or 4 days, that’s fine — you’ll still be protected.)

6. When it’s out for that one week, you’re protected: If you’ve used the ring following these guidelines, you’re still protected against pregnancy during the ring-free week. The ring has suppressed ovulation for that cycle, so you don’t need a back-up method of birth control during the ring-free week (though condoms are always a good idea for infection prevention, whether the ring is in or out).

7. Temporarily taking the ring out for three hours or less:
The exception to rule #3: you can remove the ring for up to 3 hours at a time and still be protected against pregnancy. For instance, you can take it out for a gyno visit, sex, or masturbation (some people don’t like the idea of playing ring toss in their vagina), but in each of those cases it isn’t necessary to do so.  There are no studies that tell us how often you can take a ring holiday; I counsel my patients that they can remove the ring once a day for 3 hours and are likely still safe.

8. Taking the ring out for more than three hours:
If it’s out for more than 3 hours, it’s possible that your ovaries will respond with a quickie ovulation. So put the ring back in and use condoms for a week.

9. If you’re late putting a new ring in:
If the old ring has been out for more than 7 days, put the new ring in anyway. Don’t wait for your period to start (so many women become pregnant while they’re waiting!). Then use condoms for 7 days.

10. Using rings back-to-back. You can use a new ring directly after taking out the old one — you don’t need to leave a ring out for any length of time, you don’t need a back-up method, and you can do this indefinitely (no need to ever bleed).

11. Bleeding patterns: It’s normal to have irregular spotting or bleeding during your first few months on a new birth control method. Don’t pull the ring out if you begin to bleed early — it doesn’t mean the ring is “finished,” it’s just breakthrough bleeding while your body is adjusting.

12. Other things in your vagina: Fingers, penises, tampons, sex toys, semen — all okay.

13. You can’t lose it in your body.
As long as the ring is all the way in the vagina, and it feels comfortable, you’re good to go. It doesn’t need to be in a particular place to work, and it won’t go in too far.

14. Risk of pregnancy: If you have sex without using the ring correctly, you are at risk of pregnancy. Take a pregnancy test if your period doesn’t come when you expect.

Dr. Kate of Gynotalk is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City. She also lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health. 



146 Comments

  1. When I use nuvaring, I check it once in a while to be safe. When I do I almost couldn’t touch it… Am I using it wrong? I do this want it to go in too far and not be able to get it out…

  2. I have had the Nuvaring for 2 months and 2 weeks now. I was scheduled to take the 7 day break on Friday evening. But I had a slip up. On Thursday (day before I was scheduled to take my ring break) I took my ring out to have unprotected sex and I only put it in 5 hours later.
    On Saturday evening (instead of taking it out on Friday, I left my ring in for an extra day) I took out my ring for the week break and haven’t had any sex but I’m unsure if this is the right thing to do.

    What are my options in this case?

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  4. So this is my second month on the NuvaRing and I’ve looked for this answer everywhere so maybe you can help me. I’ve had a lot of sex for the past 2 weeks no protection other than NuvaRing. Well I take it out every time and I forgot to once. Today starts week 3, I took the NuvaRing out 2 days ago in hopes that my period would start and I wouldn’t be/get pregnant. And Wah-La my period started this morning. Does this mean I am not pregnant since I’m getting my period? Will I still get one in a week from now?

  5. Ok I take the ring out every month! Within the 2ed day of it being out I usually start my period but it’s been out for 4 days and I never started.. I’m really stressing out about this because I just had my little boy 8 months ago! I’m not wanting another anytime soon!!!! HELP!!!

  6. A friend of mine just started using this and has wonderful things to say – great information to have now since I was considering starting to use it!

  7. I usually skip my period using the Nuvo Ring by replacing it and not leaving it out for time to get my period.
    I just replaced the Nuvo Ring this morning and just now I have had a break through period which my gynecologist said to let the period happen if I get a break through.
    My question is, can I reuse that Nuvo ring in a weeks time when my period finishes as the Nuvo Ring was brand new? I have put it back in the packet.

  8. On September 11 hurricane Irma hit my town pretty hard. I was scheduled to get my new nuva ring on September 15th but the pharmacy was closed for 2 weeks!! I hadn’t had a period nor spotting for 7 months. Due to the storm i was 2 weeks late putting in my new ring and i have been heavily bleeding since that day. I called my dr 2 different times and they said it was completely normal for me to be bleeding and my body would regulate within the next month or two. Lies lies lies!!! I’m still bleeding and i ended up taking the nuva ring out in hopes that the bleeding would stop a week ago but it has not. What can I do to stop the bleeding? I’ve never had a problem with irregular periods in my life until the nuva ring!!

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