THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

The Vaginal Ring: An Ideal Contraceptive Method

Ndidi Chimah

Community College of Baltimore County

THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

Contraceptive technology has revolutionized the world and in the United States. From

each humble beginning when the concept of women using fertility control wasn’t fully accepted,

to the modern time when it is a common norm. Human beings are the only species on Earth that

have the ability when and when not

Hello all. My name is Mrs.Tonya Jordan. We may not have much in common, but like

many in this room, I am a woman and have contemplated the use of multiple contraceptive

methods. After accidentally conceiving and having my third child, who I love dearly by the way,

I decided that I needed to find a contraceptive method to keep this from happening again. After

contemplating my decision I decided to Michael my husband of this and he happily accepted my

decision which led to my use of the pill under my doctor’s supervision. Unfortunately, the pill

did not agree with my system as it had broke me out severely and made me gain weight as well. I

was weaned off of it and soon after tried using the patch, but I was allergic to it and noticed skin

irritation. After being close to giving up, my doctor prescribed the vaginal ring to me and

fortunately for me this has been the most effective method for two years.

The vaginal ring is a small 54mm, soft, and malleable form of contraception that is

inserted into the vagina of a woman (See Graphic 1). In it is 11,700 µg of etonogestrel (a select

progestin) and 2,700 µg of ethinyl estradiol. This is released at a constant rate of 15 µg of ethinyl

estradiol and 120 µg of etonogestrel a day in a cycle (In Our Control). It is kept in for three
THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

weeks at a time and isn’t removed until the fourth week for seven days. During the duration of

the time that the ring is in the vagina, the natural hormones progestin and estrogen are released

into the body and absorbed into the bloodstream. The increase of hormones in the body prevents

the ovaries from releasing eggs. Concurrently, it also forces the cervical mucus to thicken which

in turn keeps the sperm from coming into contact and fertilizing an egg. Following the removal

of the ring, a withdrawal bleed occurs which is similar to the menstrual cycle of a woman. After

the ring has been out for a week, a new one is put in and the cycle resumes itself again. If the

ring has fallen out and breaks, it must be reinserted within 24 hours or else it will be ineffective.

In this case, a new ring will need to be inserted and the three week cycle will need to be

restarted.

When inserting the ring, the user should guarantee that their hands are cleaned and sterile

and a private place should be found to insert the ring. Once these two precautions have been met,

the woman should lie down or squat to get into position to insert the ring. The vaginal ring

should be held in a folded position between the index finger and thumb. While the ring is in

hand, the ring should be inserted into the vagina as far as it will be allowed (See Graphic 2 and

3). This is a painless and effortless procedure.

Despite how reasonable and easy the ring is sounding so far, it does have a few

downsides. Forgetting to change the ring after three weeks can be challenging for some

individuals due to the long duration that it is kept inside the vagina. There is a chance that slip

ups can happen, which can lead to children but this goes for almost any method. Users of the

vaginal ring are also at risk of experiencing complications including heart attacks, stroke, or even

deep vein thrombosis, but this is very rarely seen in individuals. The ring also offers no STI

protection so condoms must be used with the ring as well. Although these are considerable
THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

negatives, the positives of the ring heavily outweigh the downsides. For one, the ring isn’t

digested which allows no room for vomiting or diarrhea. The vaginal ring can even reduce and

prevent ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cancer, PMS, bone thinning, and acne. A study done in China

comparing use of the NuvaRing and a popular Chinese oral pill even showed that the ring was

more effective, controlled cycles better, and overall well preferred compared to the oral pill.

(Efficency and Safety…)

If this is sounding good to you my friends, it only gets better from here. In order to obtain

the rings, one must have a prescription from a health care provider. Once the prescription is

obtained, rings can be gotten at health care centers or local pharmacies. The cost of this

contraceptive method ranges from thirty to eighty dollars a month. Often times, it is even free

under various insurances or if the person qualifies for certain health programs.

There are many questions that arise when using vaginal rings. The most popular question

is if the ring is felt and usually it is not. If it is in an irregular position, the user should just push

the ring further back into the vagina. It never causes discomfort either. What is the success rate

you may ask? There is a 99.7% effectivity rate in the contraceptive method doing its job (Better

Health) and 9/100 women may become pregnant while typical use of it (U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services). Can the ring be used with teenagers you may ask? My answer to

that question is yes. Sometimes vaginal rings are even used among teenagers and women to

lessen the flow during periods in addition to contraception. But what about during my menstrual

period? Am I able to still use a tampon? Yes, you may with no problem at all. If the ring would
THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

happen to fall out while changing it or just because, it may be rinsed with cool water and

reinserted as long as it has been less than a 24 hour period. Common questions held among men

include if it can be felt during intercourse, or if it affects intercourse and that answer is for the

most part no. If for whatever reason one desires to have sexual intercourse without the ring, it

can be taken out for up to three hours for that.

As I wrap up my speech for today, I’m sure that I have won some of you over to try the

ring and use it as your new contraceptive solution. I do highly recommend that you bring up your

new venture into the ring to your significant other., but you may be unaware on how to. I would

personally sit this person down in a distraction free environment and educate them in the same

fashion that I did to you all. I would advise this person that it is a completely safe method used

by many people with a very high success rate with typical use. You can even say that it is more

dependable than the pill since you don’t have to worry about missing a specific day and things

going wrong. To reassure your signifigant other, you can top off your argument by saying if

there is a change of heart and you all want to have children, that you can get pregnant quickly

after stopping use of the ring. Well, that is all the time that I have for today. I thank you all for

listening, and I hope that you all have taken away something from this and consider using the

vaginal ring as a contraceptive method.

THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

Graphic 1

Graphic 2

Graphic 3

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Affairs, O. O. (2017, October 19). Vaginal Ring. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from

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 THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD

Balkus, J. E., Palanee-Phillips, T., Reddy, K., Siva, S., Harkoo, I., Nakabiito, C., . . . Baeten, J.

M. (2017). Brief Report. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 76(2).

doi:10.1097/qai.0000000000001455

Department of Health & Human Services. (2014, April 30). Contraception - vaginal ring.

Retrieved March 07, 2018, from

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/contraception-vaginal-ring

Caruso, S., Cianci, S., Malandrino, C., Cicero, C., Presti, L. L., & Cianci, A. (2014). Quality of

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doi:10.3109/13625187.2014.914488

Eldridge, L., & Baumgardner, J. (2010). In our control: The complete guide to contraceptive choices

for women. New York: Seven Stories Press.

Fan, G. S., Ren, M., Di, W., Su, P., Chang, Q., Wu, S., . . . Wang, G. (2016). Efficacy and safety of

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Your Contraceptive Choices[Pamphlet]. (2012). Planned Parenthood.

ISBN:0-934586-84-5
THE VAGINAL RING: AN IDEAL CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD