NuvaRing

Nuvaring Contraceptive Ring Online UK

You can order the Nuvaring contraceptive ring from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. Simply complete an online assessment for our UK doctors to review. If your order is approved, a prescription is sent to our pharmacy team. From there, your medicine is dispensed and dispatched to your chosen delivery address.

What is a Nuvaring?

Nuvaring is a contraceptive vaginal ring used to prevent pregnancy. Each ring contains two female sex hormones called etonogestrel and ethinylestradiol. These hormones are gradually released into the bloodstream and work to prevent pregnancy.

Nuvaring is considered a low-dose hormonal contraceptive because it only releases small amounts of hormones into the body. It’s also a type of combined contraceptive because it contains two different female sex hormones.

How does Nuvaring work?

Nuvaring contains two different hormones: progestogen and oestrogen. After inserting the ring into your vagina, the hormones are steadily released into the bloodstream. These hormones prevent pregnancy by preventing the release of an egg from the ovaries every month.

The hormones also thicken the cervical mucus, which makes it more difficult for sperm to move through the cervix. It also causes the lining of the womb to thin so that a fertilised egg is less likely to implant into the lining.

How effective is Nuvaring?

When used correctly, the vaginal ring is more than 99% effective. With typical use, it’s thought to be around 91% effective. Typical use takes into account factors that can reduce its effectiveness, such as taking other medicines that interact with the hormones. See the Contraception Choices website for further information.

How to use the vaginal ring

You can insert and remove the ring yourself. The vaginal ring must be inserted on the correct day of your monthly cycle and left in place for 3 weeks in a row. You should regularly check that the ring is in your vagina to make sure you are still protected from pregnancy. 

After the third week, you should take the ring out and have a one-week break. During this week break you will usually have your monthly period. The patient information leaflet contains instructions on when to start using the ring in different scenarios.

Inserting the ring

Wash your hands before inserting or removing Nuvaring. You should choose the position that’s most comfortable for you, such as squatting, standing with one leg up or lying down. Hold the ring between your thumb and index finger, press the side together and insert the ring into the vagina. When the ring is in place you shouldn’t feel any vaginal discomfort.

If it feels uncomfortable, gently change the position of the ring until it feels comfortable. See section 3.1 of the patient information leaflet for diagrams explaining how to insert the ring. 

If your ring falls out

If Nuvaring falls out of your vagina, you may not be protected from pregnancy. If it has been out of the vagina for less than 3 hours, it will still protect you from pregnancy if re-inserted. You can rinse the ring with cold or lukewarm water and re-insert it. 

If the ring has been out of the vagina for longer than 3 hours, it may not protect you from pregnancy. See section 3.4 of the patient information leaflet for further information.

Nuvaring Summary

Nuvaring Side Effects

Like all medicines, NuvaRing can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you get any side effects, particularly if severe or persistent, or have any change to your health that you think may be due to NuvaRing, please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Women using combined hormonal contraceptives, like the vaginal ring, are at an increased risk of blood clots. You can find further information on this increased risk in the patient information leaflet or on the NHS website.

Common side effects of Nuvaring include abdominal pain, breast pain, nausea, headache, and the ring falling out. These can affect up to 1 in 10 women. See section 4 of the patient information leaflet for a complete list of side effects, including less common side effects. If you read Nuvaring reviews online, keep in mind that side effects can vary from person to person.

Can you feel the Nuvaring?

After you’ve inserted the ring and it’s in place, you shouldn’t feel anything. If it feels uncomfortable, you can change the position of the ring until it feels comfortable. The exact position of the ring in the vagina isn’t important.

Does Nuvaring cause blood clots?

Like other combined hormonal contraceptives, using Nuvaring does have an increased risk of blood clots. The information below is taken from the manufacturers product information:

• Out of 10,000 women who are using a combined hormonal contraceptive that contains levonorgestrel, norethisterone, or norgestimate, about 5-7 will develop a blood clot in a year.
• Out of 10,000 women who are using a combined hormonal contraceptive that contains norelgestromin, or etonogestrel such as NuvaRing, between about 6 and 12 women will develop a blood clot in a year.

For this reason, people who have a history of blood clots or blood clotting disorders should not use Nuvaring. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

Can you get pregnant with Nuvaring?

Nuvaring is a contraceptive vaginal ring inserted into the vagina to prevent pregnancy. It does this by steadily releasing two female sex hormones into the bloodstream. It’s thought to be more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy if used correctly. However, with typical use it’s thought to be around 91% effective.

Nuvaring UK - where to buy?

Nuvaring, in the UK, is a prescription-only medicine. This means that Nuvaring to buy in the UK at your local pharmacy isn’t possible. However, you can buy Nuvaring online from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. Please note, this service is only available to women who have been prescribed Nuvaring previously by their GP.

Although there have been supply issues in recent times, Nuvaring UK availability has recently been restored and the medicine is currently available.

Warnings

Like other hormonal contraceptives, Nuvaring does not protect against HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases. Nuvaring is not suitable for everyone to take. This includes people with a history of blood clots, a history of heart attack or stroke, suffer from migraines with aura, severe liver disease, or a history of cancer of the breast or genital organs.

See section 2 of the patient information leaflet for further details on the warnings and precautions with using this medicine. You can also ask your pharmacist or doctor for further advice.