Cardiovascular Safety of the Contraceptive Vaginal Ring

During routine use, vaginal rings and combined oral contraceptive pills had similar venous and arterial thromboembolic risk profiles.

Surveillance of cardiovascular risk associated with routine use of hormonal contraception can help assure short- and long-term safety. In a manufacturer-funded, prospective cohort study at 1661 centers in the U.S. and five European countries, investigators evaluated the medical records of 16,864 women who were new users of a contraceptive vaginal ring (15 µg ethinyl estradiol and 120 µg etonogestrel released daily for 21 days each month) compared with 16,431 new users of combined oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Only 3% of subjects were lost to follow-up during the 4-year study.

In all, 57 venous thromboembolic events (including 13 pulmonary emboli) and 17 arterial thromboembolic events were documented, with similar incidence in the two coho…

Reviewing Author

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Cardiovascular Safety of the Contraceptive Vaginal Ring

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Reviewing Author