A woman who monitors her health and plans pregnancy, wishing to protect herself from the unpleasant consequences of spontaneous sexual intercourse, chooses contraceptive methods that can not harm her health. One such method is the use of the contraceptive ring. Many doctors recommend a similar product to use, as one of the simplest and most reliable in use. This article proposes to consider the main issues about the use, contraindications, reviews of women who have already tried the Novaring rings.
Scope of application
The purpose of the hormonal ring is to prevent the occurrence of an unwanted pregnancy. It is a modern and easy-to-use method of contraception, containing a low amount of the hormone, which is not released immediately, but gradually. Only a woman can use it, since the method of application is vaginal. The penetration of the hormone occurs through its mucosa, avoiding exposure to the intestines and liver.
The use of such a contraceptive does not give a 100% guarantee against pregnancy. According to statistics, the probability of protection is only 96%. Naturally, the main condition is compliance with the instructions and timely change of contraceptive. The restoration of reproductive function occurs in the first month after the cancellation of the contraceptive. This means that a woman can plan motherhood already in the next cycle without the need to wait several months, as when taking oral contraceptives.
It is worth noting that the effect of the drug can be reduced while taking antiviral ("Ritonavir"), antituberculosis ("Rifampicin"), antiepileptic ("Phenytoin", "Primidon", "Topiramat", etc.), antimicrobial drugs ("Tetracycline" , "Ampicillin"), as well as those that have St. John's wort in their composition. Therefore, it is worthwhile to warn the doctor in advance about taking such medicines even before the contraceptive is picked up.
How does it work
The main principle of action of such a contraceptive is suppression of the action of the ovaries. Due to the hormonal ring secretion of a gestagen component (ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel) and estrogen, ovulation is suppressed and, therefore, prevents further pregnancy.
The release of hormones occurs directly into the uterine cavity, and then it penetrates the ovaries. This avoids the adverse effects on the work of other organs. Thanks to the heat, the vaginal hormonal ring releases hormones. In this case, the temperature range of the body can vary from 34 to 42 degrees. This means that even the presence of a disease cannot affect the effectiveness of such a contraceptive.
Hypoallergenic material, which consists of several layers of latex membranes, avoids the negative reaction of the body to a foreign object. Every day, the ring secretes a certain dose of hormones. She does not depend on the rhythm of a woman’s life, her internal biological processes, mood or well-being. This fact is an undoubted plus, and it makes it possible to distinguish just the hormonal ring as the other contraceptive.
Indications for use
The main and only purpose of the drug is to prevent the onset of an unplanned pregnancy. Its use for medicinal purposes is not provided. It is also worth considering that, unlike a condom, its use will not protect partners from diseases that can be sexually transmitted.
Before a doctor prescribes such a contraceptive to a woman, he must carefully examine her health status, measure blood pressure, check the condition of her mammary glands, and study cytology and general blood counts. It is important to exclude the presence of pregnancy before using the hormonal ring.
You can use it as a delay in the onset of menstruation. To do this, you need to start using the drug earlier for the number of days for which you need to delay menstruation. It should be borne in mind that the smaller the break, the greater the delay in the new cycle.
To whom it is contraindicated
Women who are especially sensitive to the components of such a contraceptive are in a position, breastfeeding a child, cannot use it as a method of protection. And also if she has a history of diseases such as thromboembolism, thrombosis, diabetes mellitus with vascular complications, liver disease (including in the presence of a tumor), pancreatitis, migraine.
Without consulting a doctor, the use of a hormonal ring, the name of which, for example, "Novaring", is not recommended for women with obesity, hypertension, some heart diseases, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis.
With uterine fibroma, epilepsy, fibrocystic mastopathy, over the age of 35 years, with a hernia of the rectum or bladder, with tobacco use, the appointment of such a method of protection should be justified and authorized by a doctor.
Side effects
In general, there are positive reviews about the hormonal ring. Women, applying it, do not think about the risk of gaining weight, about mood swings and the need to take pills daily at a certain time. Ease of use allows you to hide most of the shortcomings.
Among the main side effects, an allergic reaction, itching and burning in the genital area are noted. This is due to personal intolerance to the components of the hormonal ring. From a psychological point of view, a woman may have a feeling of having a foreign object. However, those representatives of the fair half of humanity who are especially sensitive and subtle natures face this more often.
Negative reviews about the hormonal ring, including the presence of side effects, also have a place to be. For example, nausea, vomiting, decreased sexual desire for a sexual partner, increased fatigue and anxiety. This all applies to rare cases, since each female organism is individual, and it cannot be said that they can affect everyone.
Increased sensitivity of the mammary glands, the appearance of vaginal discharge, candidiasis, and acne are not ruled out. There is a risk of ring rupture or damage during intercourse. It is worth being prudent and not using foreign objects that could lead to this. If this still happened, you will have to use a new ring, while the duration of its stay should be equal to the remaining days of use of the damaged ring.
Mode of application
Starting from the 1st to the 5th day of the cycle, a woman can begin to use the hormonal ring as a contraceptive. First you need to take a comfortable pose - you can lie on your back or half-sitting. The ring is compressed in the hands, with two fingers. It is inserted deep into the vagina, fixed in the cervix, there is no need to check it every time.
Due to its flexible form, it takes the form of a body and is not felt inside. During intercourse, a man does not feel his presence, on the contrary, he can feel pleasant sensations, since it makes the vagina a little narrower in this place.
In some cases, it is allowed to remove the hormonal ring for a while (no more than 3 hours), but then it must be returned back. Before this, the product is washed in warm water and reintroduced into the vagina. After 7 days, a break is made, the ring is removed and after a new one is inserted, regardless of the end of the period, also for 21 days. Menstrual flow should appear immediately after removing it.
After an abortion (in the first trimester), the use of the ring as contraception is resorted to immediately after the medical procedure. If such an operation occurred in the second trimester, as well as after childbirth or miscarriage, the beginning for the use of the ring is considered after the fourth week. At a later date, it is recommended to resort to additional barrier methods during the first week of use.
It happens that a woman forgets to remove the ring on time and wears it for more than three weeks. In this case, you should not rely on the reliability of this method of protection against pregnancy. Because efficiency is greatly reduced. In the case of a week-long break, before starting to use the product from a new package, it is necessary to establish the absence of pregnancy.
With short breaks in the use of contraceptives, spotting may occur or menstruation is less scarce than usual. If the week of a break in the use of the drug has passed, and menstrual bleeding is not observed, then first of all it is necessary to do an express pregnancy test and only then find out the reason for the lack of secretions.
Switching from another contraceptive to the ring
If a woman used other methods of contraception before the hormonal ring, the instruction advises to start using it during the first five days of the new cycle, and to use a condom for the next seven days. The same scheme must be adhered to when switching from drugs that contain only progestogen, for example, it can be an intrauterine device.
When switching to this method of pregnancy protection with oral contraceptives, there is no need to take breaks or resort to additional protective measures. Immediately after a seven-day break, a woman inserts a hormonal ring into the vagina and continues to lead a normal lifestyle.
Release form
The manufacturer of Novaring products produces the drug in packs of 1 and 3 pcs. According to doctors, the hormonal ring at the initial stage of use should be purchased in the amount of 1 piece. In order to determine whether it is suitable or not, see how the body responds to a new method of protection.
The package consists of aluminum foil, and the ring itself in the outer diameter is 54 mm, the inner - 4 mm. After opening the packaging, it is allowed to re-place the previously used ring there and securely close it. This may be necessary when removing it for a while.
Advantages over other barrier methods
The minimal impact on the body and local effects on the reproductive system allows isolating the hormonal contraceptive ring “Novaring” before other barrier methods of contraception. Among the positive aspects include the absence of jumps in weight, a contraceptive does not affect blood coagulation. Compared with the tablet form, when a woman needs to take the drug daily at a certain time, the ring is inserted into the vagina once and only after a month is changed.
Having installed the ring, a woman can engage in any active sports - horse riding, swimming, etc. There is no need to notify the sexual partner of its availability. If a woman is interested in her own safety and does not want to become pregnant at the moment, then this method of protection will come in handy.
Usage Reviews
Positive reviews about the hormonal contraceptive ring can be found among most women who have already rated its effectiveness. They note a decrease in pain during menstruation, a normalization of the cycle (it becomes regular), discharge becomes less profuse.
Among the inconveniences that initially arise due to inexperience of use, there may be cases of prolapse of the ring, both after administration and during active sexual intercourse. Also, in many forums, you can find reviews about the hormone ring "Novaring", and they all agree that it must be used when a woman has one regular sexual partner.
Doctors advise taking a closer look at this method of protection for those who have difficulty taking pills daily, explaining this with forgetfulness or other reasons. The main thing is to change the ring in time.
Doctors advise to be careful when using tampons. So, there are reviews of women who were faced with the fact that with it they removed the vaginal ring. It, of course, can be returned to the place. However, this requires hygiene procedures.
In order to prevent the risk of hormonal ring prolapse, some women recommend training the vaginal muscles. For example, using Kegel exercises. They will increase internal tone, improve blood circulation.
There are also reviews about the high cost of the vaginal hormonal ring, which many can not afford. Compared with birth control pills, which cost two, or even three times less, the ring is not much more effective. Therefore, most choose a more familiar method of protection.