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New form of birth control ready for the market By Diana Davis, Channel 2 Action News health reporter Nuvaring.com March 22, 2002 -- The first new form of birth control in years is about to be released. It works like the pill but is worn internally. Manufacturers hope it will appeal to women who have trouble remembering to take the pill. The pill revolutionized birth control. The manufacturers of this new method hope it will start a second revolution -- one that provides as much pregnancy protection as the pill. But doesn't need to be thought about every day. It's worn for a three weeks at a time. Atlantan Adrien Robinson is one of the first women in the country to test what's called the Nuva Ring -- the first vaginal method of birth control. "The fact that I didn't have to think about it every day -- the pill is just too much to have to think about day-in day-out, every day," said Robinson. A flexible transparent ring, the Nuva Ring releases the same hormones as the pill. Tests showed the ring was 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, just like the pill. "What the hormones are doing is actually suppressing ovulation by a feedback to the brain so that you don't get the hormonal surges that causes the development of the follicle and subsequent release," said Dr. Michael Randell, an ob/gyn. Worn internally, the Nuva Ring releases a low-dose combination of progestin and estrogen. It's in steady amounts for three weeks at a time. The ring is removed the fourth week, then a new ring is put in place one week later. "And they give you this little timer that you know has these little beads," said Robinson. "..So all you do is look down at the timer, if you forget when did I put it in?" That convenience is expected to appeal to women who have trouble remembering to take their pills every day at the same time. "And we know that the efficacy of the pill in terms of preventing pregnancy is related to patients compliance with proper pill taking and we know that probably 30 percent of women report missing at least one or two pills a month," said Dr. Randell. The ring costs about $30 -- the same as the pill. It's available only with a prescription. Some doctors already have it on hand. All should have it by June.
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