nuva ring question

[burnedxoutxstar.livejournal.com]

Okay...can someone explain something to me? :\ I feel like a dumbarse since I've been using the nuva ring for years and don't know this.

I have read that if you have your ring in for 4 weeks and then take it out, you are protected during your ring-out week.

But I have also read that if you take your ring out for whatever reason (like to have sex or something) and leave it out for more than 3 hours, you need to use a backup method of protection for 7 days.

What makes the second situation require protection? Is it that the hormones have not had a chance to build up because it hasn't been in for the entire 3 or 4 weeks that you normally keep it in?

Comments

[lisamaria.livejournal.com]

yup, you have to have it in for at least 21 consecutive days before its safe to leave out for more than 3 hours (and no more than 7 days.)

My gyno has me doing something pretty cool: Put the ring in on the 1st, take it out the 27th. Every month. Easier to remember, short period. Yay.

[burnedxoutxstar.livejournal.com]

that's brilliant, really! Very easy to remember!! Not sure if I want to go through the trouble to "restart" myself though...

[tigerlilylynn.livejournal.com]

I believe that it works like the pill.
You need a minimum 21 protected days to get protection for the off week.
The three hours is like a missed pill.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

Think of it as basically missing a pill. The Ring's level of hormone distribution, as I recall, is a bit different than the pill -- low dosage but more even release, without the spikes of the pill. And if you remove it for three days, it's basically like missing a pill.

Once you've had the Ring in for at least 21 days, however, you are guaranteed that your ovaries have been "put to sleep" enough that they won't "wake up" during the seven-day hormone-free week, just like on a pill.

[burnedxoutxstar.livejournal.com]

gotcha! cool :) I have never been a pill taker so I hadn't thought of it like that. thank you.