I would suspect that the nuvaring would have the same effect since it's hormonal birth control.. and oh yeah- nuvaring rocks.

I noticed that when I was reading through the package information for my new birth control (just switched to Lybrel). A reduced risk of ovarian cancer is listed as one of the additional benefits :-)

Yeah, you might get some of those same protective qualities from the NuvaRing, Jessica. It all depends on how much of progesterone and/or estrogen it contains.

And that's something that bothers me about research findings or media reports on "the pill." There is no one kind of pill. There are tons of kinds of pills and each contain a differing amount of progesterone and/or estrogen. So I never know if these studies applie to all birth control pills or just ones with a certain combination of hormones.

I totally agree I never know which pill they're talking about and what hormone combination helps and what hurts. Why do I feel like I'm only ever getting half the information on my reproductive health.

"However, doctors said the risks of cancer were greater in women who took the pill for longer than eight years."

Important caveat there, especially considering how many of us start in our late teens/early twenties and don't consider going off it until our thirties.

I dunno about that NuvaRing.

It gave me bacterial vaginosis, which is apparently not an uncommon side-effect (that my college health services did not warn me about, btw). So while I enjoyed it in the months before the itching unpleasantness, I tell everyone, insert at your own risk!

Sammy, is that another term used to describe a yeast infection?

Did anyone else find that hormonal birth control adversely affected their ability to lubricate effectively? I like the way my body works without the extra hormones.

If cancer was more of a concern in my family I would certainly see this study in a different way, though.

"Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age." CDC fact sheet

"Side-effect" implies more causation than is proven. BV is also associated with having a new sexual partner, which most of us wouldn't consider a good case for absitnance. (winky thing)

Reference to the Pill in contexts like this are including all Combined Oral Contraceptives, and do not differentiate between brands. This is a long-term study, so they're also not separating out older formulations that used more hormones from newer ones.

Yeast is a fungal infection. Besides the treatment, the big difference between the two is that untreated BV may well explain the US's particularly high infant mortality rate.

lowering the risk of those cancers are well and good, but the incidence of all of those cancers is VERY small.

what is a bigger risk is breast cancer. Oral contraceptives greatly increase a woman's chance of breast cancer.

And the NuvaRing's hormones is way different in terms of complications and cancer risk. I would use the NuvaRing before I'd ever touch the pill again.

lowering the risk of those cancers are well and good, but the incidence of all of those cancers is VERY small.

what is a bigger risk is breast cancer. Oral contraceptives greatly increase a woman's chance of breast cancer.

And the NuvaRing's hormones is way different in terms of complications and cancer risk. I would use the NuvaRing before I'd ever touch the pill again.

Oh, NuvaRing. Second in love only to my Diva Cup.

Thanks for the info. I never heard of this BV thing which is really strange since I thought I knew everything that could go wrong with ones vagina.

At any rate, I've been on my nuvaring for a little over 6 months and its the first hormonal birthcontrol that has never given me a problem. But everyone reacts differently to these things I know. while on topic, does anyone know if you can use the nuvaring to skip periods? I didn't think you could but someone once told me otherwise.. she had no medical information to back it up tho and i haven't found any either...

BV is also associated with having a new sexual partner, which most of us wouldn't consider a good case for absitnance.

Although it is still classified (I believe) as a sexually transmitted disease, it is not transmitted sexually. It was thought that it was caused by a certain bacteria only, but it is now known that BV can be caused by an overgrowth of any number of the normal bacteria in the vagina. I am practically an expert on BV as I get it at least 3 times a year. Yay for me.

A little FYI from my OB/GYN:

The newest guidelines say that up to 4 "infections" (ie BV, yeast) a year is now considered perfectly normal. So, I guess at least I am "normal."

Also, and it's been a few years since I was on the pill, but I thought the risk of cervical cancer increased with the pill, esp for those over 30 and smokers. Maybe I am making that up.

Ack, wait! It can raise your chances of getting breast cancer while you're taking it and for five years afterward? Why did my doctor not tell me this? Why did my little info sheet that came with my first batch not tell me this?

At least it reduced my chances for getting cancer when I'm in my sixties. But there is a history of breast cancer in my family. I better tell my sister and cousin about this.

Girls, check your boobies!

Frog queen, you totally can use nuvaring to skip periods! My doctor prescribed it for me like that. I wear the ring for the standard 3 weeks, and when I take it out I go straight to the next one. I had to get special permission from my insurance company, because they would be paying for more rings, but they talked to my doctor and she convinced them. So you can totally do it, frog queen. I love it. :)

Thanks Marle! I must pursue this option! every three weeks is just too damn inconvenient!

Frogqueen and Marle--I also use the Nuvaring to suppress my periods, but I leave it in for four weeks. The Ring still has hormones that last week, and I leave it in to prevent me from getting migraines. The next week, I put in a new one. No extra Rings needed, no fight with the insurance company. No periods, no migraines! Best BC ever.

sgzax, seconding you on the lubrication problems. Eh, still better than getting pregnant, though. You ought to give silicone-based lube a try... great stuff.

It may lower risks of those cancers... but I remember there being a Dutch study which showed it raised the risk of breast cancer, no matter how long the pill was taken for.

So much conflicting information!

i don't use hormonal...but i had a few friends who got pregnant using just the ring...some doctors forget to mention that you have to keep them cool...like in the refrigerator...they start breaking down at room temperature...i know they didn't tell me when prescribing it, and i left it my car after lunch (when i had the appointment), and read the insert later...and realized i had to throw them all out...but that is military medicine for you...but i know lots of people who love it...i just can't tolerate the hormones w/ my medical conditions...so IUD for me...
also can't use the pill...same reasons...but also b/c breast cancer is a problem in my family...and strangely so is cervical and ovarian...even though my docs swear those ones aren't hereditary

"Bacterial Vaginosis" is just a fancy way of saying that there are bacteria irritating your vagina. Specificially, it's naughty ones, as opposed to the friendly ones that are supposed to be there.

These are the things that I hear seem to be associated with risk:

1.Vagina/penis sex with a dude (since their semen can change the pH balance in the vagina)
2. Wiping "the wrong way" (i.e., introducing E. coli, et al, to the wrong area)
3. Douching (throwing off the pH and bacterial balance of the vagina)

The CDC also says that lesbian and bi women may be more at risk for some reason-- maybe more foreplay (or shared sex toys)? ;->

On the BV topic: condoms with spermicide are also a major culprit in causing BV infections. I kept getting recurrent BV and couldn't figure out why... After my third visit in one year to my gyn to get a prescription to treat it, she finally remembered to tell me that spermicide will upset your pH too. Wish she's said that to begin with--I didn't have it again after stopping with the spermicide.

Amy, I think the reason that gay/bi womyn get it more often is because grinding and shared toys can easily introduce tiny amounts of intestinal bacteria to the vagina, especially if your tush isn't extra-clean.

Mwezzi said:
also can't use the pill...same reasons...but also b/c breast cancer is a problem in my family...and strangely so is cervical and ovarian...even though my docs swear those ones aren't hereditary
What??? Ovarian cancer is totally hereditary! Via the same genetic mutations that increase risk for breast cancer, i.e. BRCA1 and BRCA2. You can find more info about this on many sites on the web.

Also: the reason one might be more prone to bacterial vaginosis when having sex with a new partner is that said partner might not be paying enough attention to his hygiene, especially if he's not circumcised (bacteria can get trapped underneath there). Alternately, sex can transfer bacteria from outside the vagina into the vagina, so it can also help for women to shower before (and after) sex.

Now if only they could make a version that doesn't increase one's risk of blood clots.

I remember reading that the pill can increase your risk of some cancers, including liver cancer. My family has a big history of liver cancer so that really freaked me out.
Still, I don't much like the alternative (horrendous cramps). I think the only thing that would help that is going through a pregnancy and childbirth. It's the only thing that worked for my mother. Of course, that's a stupid reason to have a child. I feel pretty stuck.

Why do some religious groups have problems with birth control, I thought Baptists were a main stream religion, but this group are just weird
http://baptistsforbrown2008.wordpress.com/

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