Someone asked us:
Hello! I’ve been using the Nuvaring for a few months now, and I’ve had difficulty searching for the answer to my one question about it - is it safe to have an orgasm with it in? I’m just worried that it would hurt or get misplaced while having an orgasm. I know it’s a dumb question but I’m tired of having to take it out every time I have sex/masturbate. Thanks!
Hi!
There are no dumb questions, we promise! Lots of people wonder about the logistics of having sex or masturbating with the birth control ring. The short answer is: yes, it’s totally safe to have an orgasm when you’re using the ring. The ring is held in place by the muscles in your vagina. The exact position of the ring doesn’t matter, as long as it’s in your vagina. While it’s possible for it to get pushed around during sex or masturbation, there’s really no risk that it could get “lost” – there’s nowhere for it to go. Even if the ring does get pushed farther into your vagina than usual, you should still be able to pull it out with your finger. It is possible for the ring to get pushed out of the vagina during sex or masturbation, so it’s a good idea to check that it’s still in there afterwards.
The ring shouldn’t make sex, masturbation, or orgasms hurt. In fact, you shouldn’t be able to feel it at all. If you’re experiencing pain when you have sex or masturbate with the ring in, you should definitely talk to your health care provider about it as soon as possible.
If that’s not the case though, you can either leave it in or take it out for up to 3 hours for sex or masturbation, it’s totally up to you and what you feel most comfortable doing. Just keep in mind that if you leave it out for more than 3 hours, you should use a backup birth control method (like a condom) for the next seven days.
-Alex at Planned Parenthood
