Contraception with the vaginal ring: all about the advantages and disadvantages

How does the vaginal ring work?

You insert the soft plastic ring with a diameter of 54 mm into the vagina like a tampon. There it continuously releases hormones that are supposed to prevent ovulation. Like the pill, a vaginal ring also contains progestins. Progestins thicken the lining of the uterus and thus prevent fertilization and implantation of the egg cell.

In addition to the vaginal ring, there are many other hormonal contraceptives that are comparable to the pill , the hormone spiral or the contraceptive stick in terms of their high level of safety . In our “Contraception” section you will find many other contraceptive methods with their advantages and disadvantages:

When does the vaginal ring need to be removed?

After 21 days you have to remove it again. This is followed by a seven-day break, during which your menstrual period normally begins. As with the pill, this menstrual bleeding is not a real menstrual bleeding, but a withdrawal bleeding. After seven days you can then insert the next vaginal ring. The only vaginal ring approved in Germany is the product “Nuvaring”.

If you forget to remove the vaginal ring after 21 days, it releases enough hormones for up to seven days longer to ensure continued contraceptive safety.

The vaginal ring can also be removed from the vagina for a short time without affecting its contraceptive effect, for example if it should bother you during sex. However, it should not be removed for more than three hours and not more than once in 24 hours.

Benefits of the vaginal ring

• The vagina ring is easy to insert. Most women don’t feel it when wearing it. Some women only remove it during sexual intercourse. It can be removed for a maximum of three hours within 24 hours.
• If you use the vaginal ring, you don’t have to think about contraception every day. The ring is kept in the vagina permanently and therefore cannot be forgotten in a day like the pill. “Instruction errors” are unlikely and wearing the ring for a short period of time beyond 21 days will not affect its potency.
• You can use up to three rings directly afterwards without causing a menstrual period.
• As with the pill, the monthly bleeding with the vaginal ring is often weaker and associated with less menstrual pain.
• The safety of the vaginal ring is comparable to the high safety of the pill.
• Unlike the pill, it also offers contraceptive security for women who often suffer from vomiting, diarrhea or gastrointestinal problems.
• Unfortunately, the further interactions with antibiotics and other medications also remain a problem with the vaginal ring. Therefore, if you have any problems, you must speak to a doctor directly.

Disadvantages of the vaginal ring

• The vaginal ring has similar side effects and limitations as the pill.
• Some women find it difficult to remember to remove and reinsert the vaginal ring at the given times.
• The vaginal ring can slip out of the vagina. But that really rarely happens. If this is the case, you should wash it off with lukewarm water and use it again immediately. In some women, the vaginal ring can also cause vaginal irritation and discharge.

How reliable is the vaginal ring?

The contraceptive safety of the vaginal ring corresponds approximately to the safety of the pill. He has a Pearl Index of 0.25 to 1.18 (number of women out of 100 who became pregnant despite this contraceptive method). This means that less than one percent of all women who use the vaginal ring will still get pregnant.