Vaginal ring
What is the vaginal ring?
The vaginal ring is a small, soft plastic ring that you place inside your vagina for 21 days at a time. It’s about 4mm thick and 5.5cm in diameter.
How to use it
You place the ring in your vagina on the first day of your period and remove it 21 days later and throw it in the bin (not down the toilet) in a special disposal bag.
Seven days after removing the ring, you insert a new one for the next 21 days.
How it works
The ring continually releases oestrogen and progestogen; which are synthetic versions of the hormones that are naturally released by the ovaries.
This reduces ovulation (the release of an egg). It also thickens cervical mucus which makes it more difficult for sperm to get through and thins the lining of the womb so that an egg is less likely to implant there.