I use NuvaRing, and I’ve heard you can use it continuously to keep from getting your period. How does that work?

By Attia @ Planned Parenthood | April 21, 2020, 6:04 p.m.

Category: Ask the Experts, Birth Control

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I use NuvaRing for my birth control and Planned Parenthood mentioned continuous cycle, how does that work?

There’s lots of schedules you can choose from when using the NuvaRing, though the most common one you hear about is having it in for 3 weeks, and then taking it out to have 1 ring-free week. But that’s not the only way to use it. We now know that the ring has enough hormones in it to last up to 5 weeks, so if you want to have a ring-free week to get your period you could do 4 weeks in and 1 week out, or even 5 weeks in and 1 week out.

Some people like to use NuvaRing continuously to keep from getting their periods. This is simple: all you have to do is skip your ring-free week, and instead put a new ring in every 3, 4, or 5 weeks (which one you choose is totally up to you). It’s normal to have some spotting or bleeding for the first few months of doing this as your body gets used to it.

Some people like getting their periods, and others don’t. And some people want to skip their period every now and then for a specific reason (like during a trip), which is totally OK. Using NuvaRing continuously (whether all the time or just sometimes) is completely safe.

Tags: nuvaring, the ring, continuous birth control, no periods, skipping periods