What Is a Vaginal Ring?
A vaginal ring is a flexible hormone-releasing device that you use for birth control. It’s shaped like a small ring that you insert into your vagina. It releases the hormones estrogen and progestin into your bloodstream. The hormones stop your ovaries from releasing an egg each month. The ring thickens the mucus in your cervix, making it harder for sperm to swim through and reach an egg. It also thins your uterine lining and makes it less likely for fertilized eggs to implant and grow.
Cohen Medical Practice (CMP) offers a full range of birth control options. Dr. Felix Cohen is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist who offers the NuvaRing® vaginal ring in his Midtown NYC practice. An expert in feminine health, he and his team provide expert gynecological care whether you need a NuvaRing prescription, a NEXPLANON subdermal implant, emergency contraception or an IUD.
Can My CMP Doctor Show Me How to Insert NuvaRing?
Following a complete physical exam, medical history review and frank conversation about your birth control and fertility needs and goals, your doctor explains when to start NuvaRing, side effects of the NuvaRing you may experience and thorough instructions for how to insert NuvaRing.
You may find it easiest to insert the ring while standing with one leg up on a chair, squatting or lying down. For the vaginal ring to be fully effective, you need to use it properly. Before inserting the NuvaRing, wash your hands properly with soap and water to ensure the process is clean and hygienic.
Steps include:
- Taking the ring out of its packaging
- Pinching the ring between your thumb and index finger to compress it into a narrow oval shape
- Pushing the folded ring gently into your vagina, and placing it far enough in so that it stays securely in place
- Moving it further inside if it feels uncomfortable
You can continue all your regular activities and there’s no need to remove NuvaRing during sex, exercise or bathing. While you don’t need to do anything once it’s inside, it’s a good idea to check every so often to make sure it’s still in place. If it slips out, and it’s been out for more than three hours, you’ll need to use backup contraception.
What Are the Benefits of Using the NuvaRing?
You won’t have to remember to take a pill every day or set reminders when you have a vaginal ring. Unlike the daily commitment of birth control pills, you only need to insert the NuvaRing once every three weeks. You don’t have to worry about it until it’s time to remove it.
The NuvaRing effectiveness is over 99 percent if you use it correctly, and it provides you consistent protection.
Other benefits include:
- Providing a safe option if you have a latex allergy
- Being able to easily remove it at any time if you decide to get pregnant on NuvaRing
- Allowing you complete discretion as no one has to see you using it
- Experiencing fewer hormonal side effects compared to other contraceptives
The NuvaRing helps regulate your menstrual cycle, which reduces the unpredictability of irregular periods. You can expect your period to start during the ring-free week. You may also feel less cramping and lighter periods. The NuvaRing also reduces bloating and mood swings, which makes your period more manageable.
What Are the Side Effects of the NuvaRing?
When you rely on the expertise and experience of Dr. Cohen, side effects from NuvaRing and any other treatments are greatly reduced. Your doctor knows, for example, that NuvaRing and antibiotics don’t work together as they can reduce its effectiveness. You might notice headaches when you first start using the NuvaRing. This is often a result of hormonal changes.
Some women feel mild nausea, but this side effect is temporary and goes away after a few weeks.
NuvaRing weight gain and other possible side effects that you might experience include:
- Acne
- Irregular bleeding
- Vaginal discharge
- Breast tenderness
- Mood changes
How Long Does It Take for NuvaRing Effectiveness to Start?
The time it takes for the NuvaRing to become effective depends on when you start using it. If you insert the NuvaRing on the first day of your period or switch from another hormonal contraceptive like birth control pills, the patch or an IUD, it begins to work immediately. But if you insert the NuvaRing on days two through five of your menstrual cycle, it usually takes seven days to become fully effective.
CMP offers NuvaRing and customized care for New York women looking for trusted gynecological solutions. Dr. Cohen and his exceptional team ensure your feminine health is in trusted hands. Contact Cohen Medical Practic in NYC today to learn which form of birth control is right for you.
Besides a vaginal ring, your choices include: