Birth control ring

Tampons and menstrual cups do not interfere with the ring’s effectiveness. If your ring is in when you remove your tampon or cup, you might pull it out a bit, which might be annoying if it happens a lot.

When inserting your tampon or cup, make sure that your ring is all the way in first, and then position the tampon or cup afterwards. If you do end up pulling the ring out, you can rinse it in cool water and re-insert it right away.

The ring is effective seven days after you start using it, so be sure to use backup method, like a condom or internal condom, until then.

If you always change the ring on time, it can be very effective. With perfect use, it’s more than 99% effective. The way it’s typically used, though, it’s around 91% effective.

In other words:

Of those who use the ring exactly as directed, fewer than 1 in 100 will experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year of using this method.

Of those who do not use the ring exactly as directed, 9 in 100 will experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year of using this method.

No, most forms of birth control are not effective immediately, so you want to check with you doctor before having unprotected sex. Until then, use a condom for added protection.