Extended Contraceptive Ring Use Works

Continuous use of vaginal rings is a convenient approach to menstrual suppression. Although the effects of prolonging use beyond the recommended 3 weeks per ring have been studied in normal-weight women, whether such effects vary with body-mass index (BMI) is not known. Investigators compared hormone pharmacokinetics, ovarian suppression, and bleeding patterns in 18 women with normal BMI and 19 obese women who all used contraceptive vaginal rings for one 6-week cycle. Serum hormone concentrations, follicular development, and endometrial thickening were evaluated twice weekly, and patients maintained diaries of bleeding and spotting.

Throughout 6 weeks' use of a single ring, hormone levels remained within the therapeutic range in each partici…