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.
Hi there! I took my ring out on a Thursday, got my period on a Sunday and put the ring in during the 5 day window (4 days for me) you mention. Do I have to use condoms for a week, or am I okay for the day after I put the ring in?
My nuva ring has been out for 6 hours and my boyfriend accidentally came inside me I’m I at risk of getting pregnant
Does the Nuvaring cause recurring Urinary Tract infections? Or is it mistakingly putting it in or taking it out without washing hands or from sex?
My calendar got deleted and I ended up taking my nuvaring out a week early. So I waited a week after my period and put a new one in. When I went to my doctor she told me to take the new one out immediately and come back in two weeks to take a pregnancy test before inserting a new nuvaring. So I’ve taken out the nuvaring and it’s been 4 days and no period. Will I get another period since I already had one a couple weeks ago when I took out the previous one or should I still expect a period? I usually get it on the third day of taking out the ring. No cramps or anything either.
I have been having some crazy side effects with the nuvaring lately, I’ve been on it for almost 2 years now and recently I decided I didn’t want to have a period due to a trip I was taking, so I did back to back rings. Within a week I was spotting and this went on for a week straight before I decided to take it out and let my body regulate the hormones. I left it out for 7 days and put a new one in its now been 11 days of the new ring and I’m bleeding again! Help me.. I’m so frustrated
I’m sorta having the same issue Danielle. I don’t think our bodies will regulate putting a new ring in or leaving it out for a month or even two. I’ve been bleeding since September 11th 2017. And my dr says it’s normal!! There’s nothing normal about bleeding like this.
Iv realized my nuvaring was not up in my vagina like it normally is and iv been experiencing horrid cramping. Does the position of the ring matter?
Hello Dr. Kate, during intercourse the white part of my nuva ring frayed and came off. Is the ring still effective even though that occurred?
Hi Dr. Kate, my last period was in February , i was too lazy to go get my nuvaring prescription, then forgot for about a week. I thought it was to late to insert it so i decided to just wait for my period. Now its March 22nd 2017, no period and two negative pregnancy test? Should i inset the nuvaring now or what should i do ? Please help.
Hi Dr.Kate, I normally only give myself a 3-4 day break to have a period (typically start to bleed around the 2nd or 3rd day of being ring-free), and it last for about 3 days, 4 tops. Now this month I took the ring out about an hour later than I normally do because I was nervous about switching pharmacies, believing they wouldn’t fulfill my prescription order on time. I did however remove it anyway and ended up with what has become a normal cycle for me now (3-4 day break with 3-4 days bleeding). Now I inserted my new ring on Thursday the 9th after removing it Monday the 6th, and I continued bleeding until the following Monday when it started to turn brownish and less frequent. Now sometime that Monday I believe I lost my nuvaring after removing a tampon, which I did not replace. Tuesday morning when I got in the shower I made this realization and naturally freaked out, trying to recall the last time I physically felt it. I immediately inserted a new ring after my shower and later that afternoon when I used the bathroom I found fresh blood on my panty liner. I called my ob/gyn’s office asap for advice about the situation. I described in detail my dilemma and the color of the blood before and after inserting the new ring, and the nurse told me to remove the 2nd ring since my body is trying to have a period. She advised I wait 3-4 days like normal and insert a 3rd ring and use condoms for a week. Now this would be day 2 of not having a ring after removing the 2nd one, and my boyfriend and I had unprotected sex this afternoon. He did not ejaculate inside me, but now I’m second guessing whether or not that was dangerous or if there’s any possible window that the nuvaring might have lingering affects (which I highly doubt). However, I’ve been unable to find any concrete advice concerning using more than one ring in a short period of time, and going without when I have been very diligent for the previous months. Could losing my 1st ring of this month caused the birth control to be ineffective immediately since it exceeded 3 hours, or would I still be protected under my “28 days” as if I had a 7 day ring-free week? And after that 3 hour window, would a new ring be ineffective for 7 days regardless? I have taken plan b before I started birth control twice, and resulted in a 3 week period once. Now I’m afraid that taking a plan b and then using my nuvaring like normal will wreck havoc on my body. However, I cannot afford to become pregnant either so I’m leaning towards using a plan b anyway.
Dear Dr Kate
I had sex with my boyfriend around 2am on a Sunday 5 March so I took out my nuva ring even through he ddnt cum in me . I put it back in late the same day around 10am. Then we had unprotected sex this Sunday 12 March 330 am , but this time he ejaculated in me. Its exactly over a week should I worry about getting pregnant or I’m okay.
Thanks.
I know someone who takes the ring out and immediately puts one in, never having periods. It would seem dangerous, never letting the blood out. Is it? She is also gaining weight- a lot. Does that have something to do with the way she is using nuvaring. Is there some literature I could show her.
Hi Nancy…
My friend was doing the same thing and she gained a whole lot of weight…I’m not a doctor but I don’t think that its natural not to bleed…that’s our cleansing moment
If we don’t bleed how are we cleansing. And where is all that waste going?…my friend stop doing it and started having her period again… after a little while she lost the weight
Good Luck to your friend…
You can do 4 weeks in an put them in back to back its safe! But my doc told me to do 2months 4 week an then the 3rd month do 3 weeks…
HELP! I had my period starting on January 11th, I don’t rememberexactly how long it lasted, usually around 5-7 days. I put a nuvaring in on January 23rd and had unprotected sex with him ejaculating inside of me on the 28th and on the 30th. What is the likelihood of being pregnant?
Advice please?! Ive been on the nuvaring for about two weeks now. So far ive been constantly bloated and crampy, very irritable and have been breaking out like crazy, when normally i have very clear skin. My gyno said to contact her if this isnt working out, but if these symptoms are going to subside soon, i don’t want to give in before I give it sufficient time. Are these symptoms typical at first? Will they subside eventually?
Hi Em & Lo.. I’ve been on nuva ring continues without break for 3 months.. this month for the first time I’ve been having brown spotting for 4 days already.. in 2 days (December 26) I’m supposed to change my nuva ring should I leave it out for 4 days to get the bleeding out and then use a new ring ? Please help I’m going on a New Years cruise and I don’t want to be bleeding :/
Hey so I have a weird question. I took my nuvaring out during sex and I forgot to put it back it it’s been 3 days can I place that same ring back in or do I need a new one? Wasn’t sure if it would still be effective being out of the package and out of my vagina for 3days?