What's right for me?
The Vaginal Ring
The ring is a soft plastic ring put in the vagina.
It releases two hormones (oestrogen and progestogen) which are similar to the body's own hormones.
Each ring lasts for three weeks.
What You Will Get
Positives
Easy to use – one ring lasts three weeks
It doesn’t interrupt sex
The ring is good at preventing pregnancy
The ring helps to reduce period pain
Control over pattern of periods (regular or no periods)
Easy to know and to control when a period will come
The ring can help with acne
It can help treat symptoms of endometriosis, PCOS and menopause
It protects against womb, ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer
Negatives
Need to remember once a month
No protection against STIs
Possible side effects when first starting:
Spotting (bleeding in between periods)
Nausea (feeling sick)
Sore breasts
Other possible side effects:
Changes in mood or sex drive
Feeling more hungry
Headaches
Extremely rare side effects:
Blood clots in the legs or lungs (5-12 in 10,000 users)
The ring is easy to put in
It finds a comfortable position, and doesn’t need to be put anywhere particular in the vagina. It’s just a different way of absorbing the hormones
Most people don’t put on weight
It can make some people feel more hungry. Most stay the same weight – 1 in 10 put on weight, and 1 in 10 lose weight while they are on the ring
Some users notice bigger breasts
You don’t need a break from hormones
It’s safe to use from your teenage years up to the age of 50 (for most people)
The ring doesn’t suit everyone
Some people love it, and some might experience moodiness, hunger, nausea, or less desire for sex
The body doesn't need to have a period once a month, and you can control when you have a period
It’s safe to miss periods by using several rings in a row without a break –blood doesn’t build up inside since the womb lining stays thin, and it can help people feel more energetic if they are not losing iron every month. Find out more about periods here
The ring does not cause infertility
When you come off the ring, fertility returns to normal, meaning that it’s possible to get pregnant within a few days or weeks. It’s important to know that it’s less easy to get pregnant as you get older – it’s harder to get pregnant over the age of 35. Find out more about infertility here
Lots of people are on the ring for its benefits
Many find the ring fantastic for controlling period pain, and to level out moodiness of premenstrual tension. The ring is also used to treat some of the symptoms associated with Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
The ring can also be used to treat menopausal symptoms, like hot flushes and vaginal dryness in people under 50.
Good to know
The ring is easy to use – it’s gently put into the vagina, and it finds a comfortable position. It doesn’t need to be put over the cervix (like the diagphragm)
If you want to miss a period, it’s safe to use rings one after another with no break. Using the ring back to back can also help avoid some pre-menstrual symptoms e.g. bloating, headache, tiredness, period pain, and mood changes.
How much bother is the ring?
You put the vaginal ring into the vagina for three weeks, followed by a ring-free week on the fourth week. A period will usually come during the fourth week, meaning that it’s easy to predict when a period is coming.
If the ring is used properly it’s really effective, but it can be hard to remember to start using a new one.
You can get the ring from a GP, family planning/contraception clinics, sexual health clinics. Find out more about where to get the ring here
How effective is the ring?
If the ring is used properly, without taking other medications that could make it less effective, it is more than 99% effective – meaning that if 100 people use the ring for a year, less than one will have an unplanned pregnancy. However, allowing for the ups and downs of life, the average user can expect it to be around 91% effective – meaning that out of 100 people using the ring for a year, around 9 will have an unplanned pregnancy.
How does it work?
Using the ring temporarily stops the ovaries from releasing an egg each month. It also thickens the fluid around the neck of the womb (which stops sperm getting to an egg), and makes the lining of the womb thinner so that a fertilised egg can’t settle and grow.
If you forget to use a new ring, or if it comes out, you might need an emergency pill, or an emergency copper coil (IUD) (Further information here)
Does the ring affect my risk of getting cancer?
Breast cancer: Studies have shown a small increased risk of breast cancer in people who use hormonal contraception compared to those who don’t. This increased risk disappears 10 years after stopping the ring.
Cervical cancer: Some studies have shown a small increased risk of cervical cancer if you use a combined hormonal method (pill, patch or ring) for more than 5 years. This increased risk disappears 10 years after stopping the ring.
Ovarian cancer: taking the combined hormonal methods (pill, patch or ring) can lower the risk of ovarian cancer. This benefit persists even after stopping the ring.
Endometrial (womb) cancer: taking the combined hormonal methods (pill, patch or ring) can lower the risk of womb cancer. This benefit persists even after stopping the ring.
How effective is it?
Using the withdrawal method, typically 22 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using hormone coils (IUS), typically fewer than 1 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using condoms, typically 15 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using mini-pills, typically 9 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using the implant, typically fewer than 1 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using combined pills, typically 9 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using patches, typically 9 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using vaginal rings, typically 9 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using copper coils (IUD), typically fewer than 1 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using diaphragms, typically 12 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Using fertility awareness, typically 24 in 100 will get pregnant in one year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I have lighter periods?
Most hormonal contraception is very good at making periods lighter.
The body’s hormones naturally go up and down. The hormonal methods of contraception work by levelling the ups and downs, and by stopping an egg being released (ovulation). The hormones in contraception are very similar to the body’s natural hormones, but the levels are steady instead of up and down. The steady level of hormones usually means that period bleeding is lighter, and also less painful.
The implant, pills, patches, and the ring are all ‘low dose’ methods. The lowest hormone level of all the methods is the IUS (hormonal coil) which is released into the womb slowly over 5 years.
Recommended methods:
Can I control when I have a period?
There’s no need to have a period every month – on the pill, patch or ring it’s easy to control when a period comes, by taking the method continuously without a break. A period will come when you stop the method (for a week).
You can decide when a bleed will happen, and can also take the pill, patch or ring continuously to temporarily stop your periods.
It’s safe to use two or three pill packets back to back to delay a period, going straight from one packet on to the next with no break (or changing the patch once a week with no break, or using the vaginal ring continuously).
The Combined Pill, The Patch and The Vaginal Ring are best for controlling when periods come, since these contain the hormone oestrogen.
Recommended methods:
How can I stop my periods?
Hormonal contraception makes it possible to have no periods at all.
Some methods are quite likely to stop periods so there is no bleeding at all, or only occasional light bleeding. The best method to stop periods is the Injection. Almost half of users (47%) will have no periods after a year of using the injection. The implant can also cause a pause in periods – periods will stop for about one in five users, and more than half have bleeding which is light and less frequent. Implant.
Periods can be delayed by using the The Combined Pill, The Patch or The Vaginal Ring continuously. So for example you can choose to have a period once every three months only.
It is safe, and there is no harm to future fertility in having a break from periods. When there is no period, the lining of the womb stays thin – blood doesn’t build up inside the body. There are some benefits to stopping periods – less bleeding helps to save iron (many people are anaemic because of their periods). Once the contraception is stopped, the body returns to it’s normal cycle. Periods.
Having no periods on contraception is a temporary effect which is completely reversible, and makes no difference to future fertility – having no bleeding does not affect the chance of getting pregnant in future. All of the methods are very quickly reversible (except the injection – it can take a few months to get periods back again).
Recommended methods:
Which methods can make breasts bigger?
The Combined Pill, The Patch or The Vaginal Ring can make breasts bigger, since these contain the hormone oestrogen.
Oestrogen can make breasts feel tender and swollen, particularly at first.
Recommended methods:
How can I treat Premenstrual Syndrome?
Premenstrual Syndrome is shortened to PMS. It’s also known as PMT (premenstrual tension).
The body’s hormones naturally go up and down. There’s a lot more progesterone in the week before a period, and that can cause pre-menstrual symptoms like bad moods and hunger. Hormonal contraception works by levelling out hormones, and so can be ideal for reducing PMS/PMT.
Some people get mood changes when they are not on hormonal contraception, and some get mood changes when they are on hormonal contraception. Often swapping to a different method solves the problem (e.g. choosing a different brand of pill)
These methods can help with PMS:
Recommended methods:
Which methods are the easiest to keep secret?
The Injection
The injection is the most invisible – there might be a tiny plaster put over the injection place (usually on the bum), but that’s all.
The Implant
The implant is on the inside of the arm, just under the skin – sometimes there is a small scar where it’s gone in, and you can sometimes see the outline of it if you have slim arms. In people with darker skin, a visible line can develop where the implant is resting. Since it’s on the inside of the arm, the implant is discreet.
Coils (IUD/IUS)
Coils are put into the womb, so cannot be seen. Occasionally a partner can feel the thin string of a coil during sex, and if this happens, it can be cut short so they don’t feel it.
Recommended methods:
Which methods are best at preventing pregnancy?
Nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned (45%) – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are unwanted.
- If an unplanned pregnancy would be a big concern, the implant, the injection, the IUS and the IUD are the best at preventing pregnancies. Because they are long acting, you don't need to remember to use them every day
- As long as they're taken correctly, the combined pill, the patch, the contraceptive ring, and the mini pill are also great at preventing pregnancies
- If you want to delay getting pregnant, but want to get pregnant within a few months, the combined pill, the patch, the contracepive ring, and the progestogen only pill might be suitable as they come out of the body's system very soon after they are stopped, meaning that levels of fertility return to normal very quickly and might help with planning or delaying getting pregnant
- If pregnancy could be a happy accident, condoms, the diaphragm, fertility awareness and withdrawal are generally less effective methods of contraception, and so could be suitable
- Currently, contraceptive options for men are limited to condoms, withdrawal, or sterilisation (which is permanent). An unplanned pregnancy can cause stress for both both partners, and using contraception such as condoms is a way for men to have control over when they become a father. Men can talk to their partners about when they would like to have a baby, and ask them about preferred methods of contraception
Recommended methods:
Contraception and breastfeeding
Do I need contraception if I’m breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding can help to delay when you start ovulating and having periods again after giving birth.
Breastfeeding can help to prevent pregnancy on three conditions:
- If your baby is less than six months old
- If you’re fully breastfeeding (only giving your baby breast milk)
- If you haven’t had your first period since giving birth
Breast feeding can be 98% effective in preventing pregnancy if all three conditions apply. But the risk of pregnancy becomes higher:
- if you are breastfeeding less often
- if there are long intervals between feeds during the day or night
- if the baby is having other liquids as well as your breast milk
- if your periods return
Once your baby is more than 6 months old, you will need to use another contraceptive method even if you are fully breastfeeding and haven’t had a period.
Which methods are safe if I’m breastfeeding?
The contraceptive implant, injection, progestogen-only pill, IUD, IUS and condoms are safe if you are breastfeeding. If you’re using a hormonal method of contraception, a very small amount of hormone will enter the milk, but this has not been shown to be harmful to breastfed babies.
Emergency contraception (IUD and emergency pills) are safe when breastfeeding. If you use the IUD or emergency pill containing levonorgestrel you can continue to breastfeed normally. If you use the emergency pill containing ulipristal acetate (ellaOne®) you should not breastfeed for one week after taking it. During this week you should express and discard your breast milk, because the effects of ellaOne® on breastfed babies have not been studied.
Which methods are not suitable?
The combined pill, contraceptive patch and vaginal ring may make it harder for your milk to come in (because they contain the hormone oestrogen). So if you’re breastfeeding, it’s best to wait until your baby is six weeks old before starting one of these methods.
Fertility awareness methods are less reliable while breastfeeding because it is difficult to identify the signs of fertility. You should have 3 normal, regular periods before using fertility awareness methods, and this is unlikely to happen in the first 6 months after giving birth if you are breastfeeding.
Recommended methods:
Contraception after having a baby
Many unplanned pregnancies happen soon after having a baby.
How soon is it possible to get pregnant again?
You can get pregnant as soon as 21 days after having a baby. It is possible to get pregnant before you have your first period and if you’re breastfeeding.
Which methods can be started immediately after having a baby
The contraceptive implant, injection, progestogen-only pill and condoms can be started immediately after having a baby.
The IUD and IUS (coils) can be fitted at the time of a caesarean section or immediately after a vaginal birth. If they are not fitted within the first 48 hours, fitting should be at least four weeks after giving birth.
Emergency oral contraception (Emergency pills) are safe after having a baby but are not needed until 21 days after birth. All oral Emergency Contraception can be used after 21 days and the IUD can be inserted 28 days after birth. Emergency Contraception containing Levonorgestrel is not known to be harmful when breastfeeding.
Which methods are not suitable after having a baby?
The combined pill, contraceptive patch and vaginal ring should not be used in the first 3 weeks after having a baby. This is because the risk of blood clots is higher after giving birth. Those who have had uncomplicated births, with no risk factors for blood clots and who are not breastfeeding may be able to start as early as 21 days following birth. However, if you are at increased risk of blood clots, you may be advised to wait 6 weeks before starting one of these methods. Speak to your doctor or nurse who can advise you.
The diaphragm is not recommended in the first 6 weeks because the cervix (neck of the womb) and vagina change shape and size during pregnancy and birth. These changes make the diaphragm less good at preventing pregnancy.
Fertility awareness methods are less reliable after giving birth because it is difficult to identify signs of fertility. You should have 3 normal, regular periods before using fertility awareness methods.
How long should I wait before getting pregnant again after having a baby?
The advice is to ideally wait for 24 months, or at least 12 months, before becoming pregnant again. This is because if you get pregnant again quickly, the next baby might be too small, or be born too soon.
Leaflet: Contraception after having your baby
Recommended methods:
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