Nuvaring and spermicidal film

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2004
Nuvaring and spermicidal film
2
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 3:05pm
I was thinking about this today and wondering if anybody could give me an answer.

I`ve been considering switching to Nuvaring but have a little bit of a hesitancy problem as it`s "only" considered to be 99% effective. After talking with my DB, he suggested that if I really wanted to go with the switch, that we could use an additional method like spermicide or condoms and that he`d be okay with it (which is weird, since he loathes condoms with a passion).

I was wondering if spermicide, specifically the film, decreases the effectiveness of the ring? I`m pretty positive that it wouldn`t and that the ring has been tested with these complementary methods, but just wanted a second opinion from the achingly knowledgeable women of this board. (:

Lena

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 5:16pm
Hi Lena,

The NuvaRing prescribing info. http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/Global/prescribingInformation.asp?ComponentID=76206&SourcePageID=67545 says in part:

“Drug-Drug Interactions

Interactions between contraceptive steroids and other drugs have been reported in the literature (see PRECAUTIONS). The pharmacokinetics of NuvaRing were evaluated in one cycle in 24 healthy female subjects randomized to a single-dose vaginal administration on Day 8 of 100 mg of a nonoxynol-9 spermicide gel or a 1200 mg miconazole nitrate antimycotic capsule. In this study, it was determined that the vaginally-administered, oil-based miconazole nitrate capsule increased the serum concentrations of etonogestrel and ethinyl estradiol by approximately 17% and 16%, respectively. The clinical significance of these findings is unknown; however, the contraceptive effectiveness of NuvaRing is not expected to change. It was determined that the single dose of 100 mg vaginally-administered, water-based nonoxynol-9 gel did not affect the serum concentrations of etonogestrel or ethinyl estradiol. The effects of chronic administration of either of these products with NuvaRing are unknown.”

I think the last sentence in the above quote is critical. You might want to call the NuvaRing Helpline and see if they have additional information. The number is: 1-877-NUVARING (1-877-688-2746) Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. EST. Let us know what they say, ok?

Something else to consider if you are thinking about frequently using a vaginally applied chemical while wearing NuvaRing. We have had two members post about their rings breaking. Both were using a vaginally applied YI medicine at the time. Was that a coincidence? Was it a bad batch of rings? I don’t know. Let us know what you decide, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 6:49am
Tell me something....aren't the pill and Depo and the IUD also 99% effective? ;) I hate statistics, personally, I think it's possible to be too literal with them. Effectiveness statistics, I think, are useful as far as whether a method is -really- effective, -pretty- effective, or -marginally- effective, but I don't think I'd do any hair-splitting between -really- effective methods. But that's just me! Maybe I'm a little too cavalier about my birth control. ;)

99% effective doesn't mean that out of every 100 times you have sex you're likely to get pregnant once (I'm pretty sure you knew that already), what it means is that out of 100 couples using the method for a year, one would become pregnant. If you asked me, and some people don't agree with me and that's fine, I'd say that for 99 of those couples the method was 100% effective and for that one pregnant couple the method was not effective. For me, the ring has been 100% effective. So far. And I'm fine with that, even though the pill and Depo and the IUD have a slightly higher effectiveness, 99% is still good enough for me.

I do use spermicide occasionally as needed for backup, but that's not very often. Your experience might be better with a gel as compared to the film, as the gel has a lower concentration of N-9. I don't know if a spermicide is chemically similar to a YI cream, though, the cream is in an oil and alcohol base and spermicide is water-based. But I would probably be careful until you get ahold of Organon (if you want to pursue a phone call).

Good luck!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control