Birth control ring

It’s funny to say, but the ring almost has a sixth sense for getting itself into the right place. If you insert the ring and can’t feel it, you’ve got it in correctly.

In a word, no. The best way to guard against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if you’re having sex is still the good ol’ condom. If you’re concerned about both pregnancy and STIs, doubling up with the ring and condoms is a great option.

It depends on your situation. Unless you’re in a totally exclusive relationship and you and your partner have both been tested recently for every single STI, using condoms with whatever other birth control method you choose is a good idea. Basically, if there’s any chance you or your partner could have an STI, the only way to decrease the risk of transmitting it is by using condoms, internal condoms, dental dams, and/or PrEP, (a medication which decreases the risk of getting HIV.) Other forms of birth control don’t protect against STIs.

Using a condom with another form of birth control is called dual protection. It means you’re being super-safe and protecting yourself against both pregnancy and STIs.

A cyst is basically a bubble—a collection of fluid with a thin wall around it. Functional cysts are formed when a follicle (the fluid-filled sac that develops around an egg during ovulation) grows larger than expected. Sometimes they can cause un-fun symptoms like abdominal discomfort, pelvic pain, pain during bowel movements, or pain during sex. Most cysts disappear on their own, but if they keep growing they can cause severe pelvic pain or pain that causes dizziness or fainting and comes with a fever or vomiting. If you have any of these severe symptoms, go see your health care provider ASAP. Some hormonal birth control methods—the ones that work by blocking ovulation—may mean fewer ovarian cysts. If you tend to get cysts, your provider might recommend you try a method like the pill, the ring, the patch, or the shot.

There’s a chance you’re not inserting the ring correctly.

Try this: Use an empty tampon inserter to push it in all the way.

Take a look at our How to Use It section to see how to get it in and how to get it out.

Yes, you can use the ring to skip your period. Just change the ring every four weeks without taking a 1-week break.

If you decide not to take it out for the break week, just pay attention to the “ring in” day. You’ll take the old one out and put the new one in on that day.

To take the ring out, hook your finger on the lower edge and pull. Simple as that. For more information on getting the ring in and out, take a look at our How to Use It section on the ring.

Leave the ring in for three weeks, then take it out for the fourth week of the month. Check out the How to Use It section for more details.

Absolutely. It’s really quite easy. And if you like, your partner can help as well.