Satisfaction and non-contraceptive benefits with NuvaRing®, a novel
vaginal combined contraceptive method in a clinical experience program in Brazil
N. de Melo (1), A.P. Zuccato (2)
Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Hospital das Clínicas of São
Paulo University, São Paulo, Brasil (1) and Organon do Brasil, São Paulo,
Brasil (2)
Objectives: The objectives of this clinical experience program were to
evaluate user and partner satisfaction and non-contraceptive benefits such as
improvement of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhea with NuvaRing (15
mcg ethinyl estradiol/ 120 mcg etonogestrel) a new contraceptive vaginal ring.
Methods: Women who participated in the 6-cycle observation were asked
to answer a questionnaire by their physician at baseline and after 1, 3 and 6
cycles of using NuvaRing. In total, 2620 women successfully completed follow-up
after 6 cycles.
Results: On study completion, 97.4% of women were satisfied or
extremely satisfied with the product and 98.5% of users would certainly or most
probably recommend NuvaRing to other women. After 6 cycles of use, 89.6% of
women reported that NuvaRing was extremely easy to insert and 87.6% reported
that ring removal was also extremely easy. In addition, 76.6% reported never
feeling the ring during sexual intercourse and 67.6% said that their partners
also never felt the ring. Ninety per cent of partners had no objections to them
using the ring. At baseline, oral contraceptives were elected as the preferred
method by 37.7% of women participating in this study, and after completion of
the study, 84.5% of women chose NuvaRing as their preferred contraceptive method.
With regard to non-contraceptive benefits, improvement of PMS was reported by
81.3% of NuvaRing users while improvement of dysmenorrhea was reported by 77.7%
of women after the sixth cycle.
Conclusions: NuvaRing was found to be a highly acceptable method to
Brazilian women. Most of them would recommend it to other women and chose it to
be their preferred contraceptive method. In addition, improvement of PMS and
dysmenorrhea were reported by more than two thirds of women after 6 cycles of
NuvaRing use.
