Q: I’ve heard lots about SFSI from being a devoted listener to Violet Blue’s Open Source Sex podcast, and so I thought I’d ask you this. My boyfriend and I have been going out for many months now. I’m on the NuvaRing and we have no worries about STIs. We have been having sex without a condom for the first few minutes of intercourse, then putting one on for the big finish, so to speak, because I’m absolutely stark terrified of becoming pregnant. However, we’ve discussed at length the fact that we both want to ditch the condoms completely when it’s feasible. I’m absolutely on board with it in theory, but I’m still scared that I’ll become pregnant without that backup method. I know it’s silly and I’ve read a lot about the effectiveness of my hormonal birth control, but that niggling doubt in the back of my mind still persists.
For my peace of mind, is it really okay to go without condoms for the few weeks per month that I’m safely protected by birth control? Am I probably good to go? I’m sure most couples in our situation are fine, but just to calm me down, I’d love to get a “yes, go for it!” (or a “no way”) from people who know this sort of thing and are not going to feed me the same line about how my NuvaRing doesn’t protect against STIs and blah blah blah, because I know all that already!
A: Unfortunately, this is still a decision you’ll have to make for yourself. Many couples who are not concerned about STIs decide to stop using condoms when birth control is being used. Like most hormonal birth control, the NuvaRing is about 99% effective when used correctly. That means that per year, about 1 out of 100 women using the ring will become pregnant. In addition, as long as you are using the ring according to instructions, you are protected from pregnancy throughout the month. It is not required to use a backup method during the week that you remove the ring.
Here are some websites with more information about the ring. You can also contact your medical provider or pharmacist for more information.
NuvaRing Website
Planned Parenthood on the NuvaRing
You’ll have to decide if relying on your birth control alone would make you worry so much that it would affect your quality of life. You may also want to consider what you would do if you did happen to get pregnant. You may decide that an unintended pregnancy is not something you want to deal with right now, or you may decide that you could handle it just fine in the unlikely event that it happens.
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