We all make mistakes. And it’s pretty common for women to make a mistake at some time when using the vaginal ring — a small, flexible ring that is inserted into a woman’s vagina once a month to prevent pregnancy. It’s left in place for three weeks and taken out for the remaining week each month — three weeks in, one week out. Then a new ring is inserted.
If you use the ring, the key to protecting yourself from an unplanned pregnancy is knowing what to do if you make a mistake or if the ring slips out of your vagina.
Pregnancy can happen if
- the ring slips out of your vagina and is not replaced within three hours
- the ring does not stay in your vagina for three weeks in a row
- the ring is left in your vagina for more than three weeks
- you forget to insert a new ring more than a week after taking out the previous ring
Here are some general instructions if any of these things happen to you. Talk with your health care provider for more information.
If the Ring Slips Out of Your Vagina
- Wash the ring with lukewarm or cool water and put it back in as soon as possible.
- Use a backup method of birth control for seven days if the ring is out of your vagina for more than three hours.
If You Leave the Ring in Your Vagina for Longer than You Should
Up to four weeks after insertion
- Remove the ring.
- Take a ring-free week.
- Insert a new ring after the ring-free week.
More than four weeks after insertion
- Remove the ring.
- You may have become pregnant if you had vaginal intercourse more than four weeks after you inserted the ring. You may want to take a pregnancy test.
- When you restart with a new ring, use backup birth control for seven days.
When Backup Birth Control Is NeededUse a backup method of birth control for seven days in a row
Do not use a diaphragm, cap, or sponge as a backup method. The ring could keep them from being placed properly in your vagina. Latex condoms or spermicide, used separately or together, are good choices for backup protection.
You can also use emergency contraception (morning after pill) as backup. This is a great option if you had vaginal intercourse before you realized your ring was not in place or had been in place too long. Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if started up to five days after unprotected intercourse. The sooner you start it, the better it will work. |
