NuvaRing Birth Control and Endometriosis: My Honest Experience

The NuvaRing is a birth control method which is inserted vaginally, and lasts for 30 days. I used it when I was younger, and am now using it to combat my severe endometriosis. I’m writing this in hopes that it will help women who are in a similar situation. I have been on a regimen of NuvaRing birth control to help minimize my severe endometriosis. This is my review not only of the NuvaRing itself, but how it’s helped my endometriosis.

I am not a medical professional. This is an extremely personal experience and while I hope to help, this does not replace having honest discussion with your gynecologist. Please do your own research and make an educated decision.

I also am not sponsored nor endorsed by anyone. All opinions and experiences are honestly my own.

The Background: My Previous Experience with NuvaRing

I had used NuvaRing with no issues as a basic birth control when I was a newlywed. I loved that you only had to think about this birth control once a month, that it would be super comfortable and have a minor list of side effects. Looking back, I don’t remember any side effects or concerns with it at all. I continued to use NuvaRing until we were ready to start our family.

In 2012 I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis after having a laparoscopy. While it was a depressing point in my life and I was terrified I’d never be able to have children, we had our first child in 2013 and our second in 2015. If you want to read about my experience with endometriosis and infertility, check it out here.

While endometriosis left me alone between getting pregnant in late 2012 and having my second child in late 2015, it’s been creeping back and getting increasingly worse. We’re talking two or three days of debilitating pain and fatigue per month. As a stay-at-home mom who doesn’t get a day off. (Years ago it would be one or two days, max.)

Now that I’m done having children and have weaned my last child, I wanted to revisit my endometriosis pain and see if I could do something to take care of me. So I found a gynecologist in my area and went to get some advice.

Click here for some basic information on what is endometriosis, anyway?

My Experience With NuvaRing in General

I really love the NuvaRing. I think it’s a super convenient, comfortable, minimally-side-effect-y birth control option. 

Essentially you have a ring which you insert into your vagina, which releases a steady stream of hormones. You remove the NuvaRing and throw it away after 30 days, give your body a week to have a period, and then you insert a new NuvaRing. It’s completely comfortable, you’ll forget it’s even there, and it poses no issue during sex. I promise. It’s also free through my insurance, hooray!

NuvaRing and Endometriosis, Post Kid

In 2018, when I first started a discussion with my gynecologist about some endometriosis aid, we agreed that NuvaRing would be a great option. I like that it’s convenient, affordable (free with my insurance), but not a more permanent solution like an arm implant. It’s also way less effort than having more laparoscopic surgeries, or having a full hysterectomy. My gyn assured me that I could continue to do the NuvaRing regimen indefinitely, or until menopause.

What’s unique about using NuvaRing with endometriosis is that you’re trying to keep your body from spreading endometrial cells all over the place (and remember, there’s still no cure for endometriosis and we still don’t know why in the hell our bodies do this anyway), and if you’re not trying to get pregnant anyway, why bother with a menstrual cycle every month? 

So my gyn taught me to do a three-month back-to-back NuvaRing routine, so that I’m only having a period once every three months. (Win-win, right?)

Essentially, I still have to put in a new NuvaRing every month, but I’ll do three back-to-back without giving my body a week long lapse to have a period. Again, I’m obviously not trying to get pregnant, and the real reason I sought out birth control was to slow down the spread of my endometriosis, as well as make my endometriosis symptoms less severe on a monthly basis.

My Experience with NuvaRing for Endometriosis

This is a sample schedule of when you would change out a NuvaRing, and when you would give your body a week off to have a menstrual cycle. I also added my own personal experience so you can see what happened with me as I started this regimen for endometriosis relief.

• First Month: No pain, no spotting, switch out NuvaRings after 30 days.
• Second Month: Right at this point my body tried to have a period; I had horrible PMS-endometriosis pain for two days, and did still have a light cycle. This one was actually longer and stronger than my normal period. Switched out NuvaRings after 30 days.
• Third Month: I had no pain at all but I did have constant spotting for this entire month; TMI it was like old blood as it was usually brown, not bright red, and it was all day every day. I had to constantly wear a pantyliner for this entire time and while I had no pain, this was annoying as hell! It was also a bit scary, to be honest. (Cue the obligatory “If something worries you, tell your doctor.” And I did.)

Then take out NuvaRing No. 3 and let your body have a menstrual cycle for seven days.

• First Month: No pain, no cramping, a bit of spotting at the very end; switch out NuvaRings after 30 days.
• Second Month: A bit of spotting and cramping at the beginning, but not a full-on period.
• Third Month: This is where I’m at now! No issues, no pain. Hallelujah!

A Note About Spotting While on NuvaRing

Since we’re super comfortable telling each other anything at this point, Dear Reader, I wanted to point out what my doctor recommended in regards to spotting. If it’s happening a lot there are a few things you can try, in addition to informing your gynecologist:

• Try a regimen of ibuprofen, every eight hours for up to five days, to get the spotting to stop. (Check with your gynecologist on what dosage you should use; mine suggested 600-800mg.)
• Look into getting a swab test to make sure you don’t have an infection in your uterus caused by old tissue. This is an easy fix with some antibiotics.
• If you’re having other discomfort or otherwise don’t like the NuvaRing, look into trying a pill or an IUD as another option.

Spotting a bit for the first month or two, especially since we’re doing the “Teach your body to only have a period once every three months”, is normal. But if it’s happening for days or weeks at a time, or is really heavy, then make sure you tell your gynecologist. My spotting was bad on that first Month Three that I noted above, and it hasn’t happened since. Hooray!

…And A Note About Sex While on NuvaRing

Yes that cute little ring is sitting up in your cervix for a month, including if you have a period or if you masturbate or if you have sex. No it’s not a problem. Totally normal (and to be honest, I doubt your dude is gonna feel it unless he’s super well-endowed, ahem). There’s not a risk of the NuvaRing being pushed up too far, or anything bad happening. So no need to panic. You can also wear tampons or a menstrual cup (I love mine and am glad I can use it if I need to). So now that’s settled.

So in conclusion, I think that the NuvaRing is a great low-maintenance birth control anyway, but can be really effective in helping women who are suffering with severe endometriosis. Your endometrial cells are only spreading and “activating” when you have a period, so if you only have one every three months instead of every month, that’s a lot less pain for you! I see no reason at this point why I wouldn’t continue using NuvaRing until I’m ready to hit menopause but of course I’ll update here if anything changes.

What’s your experience with NuvaRing or endometriosis? Anything you recommend?

If you’d like to see my honest review of the menstrual cup, check it out here.

And to read about my scare with endometriosis and infertility, click here.

To see NuvaRing’s official website, click here.