According to a British Medical Journal (BMJ) study published on May 10, 2012, the popular contraceptive NuvaRing is a dangerous drug creating increased risks of blood clots as compared to other contraceptives.
The BMJ study revealed that women using NuvaRing had nearly double the risk of serious blood clots than women using earlier-generation birth control. The study reviewed information on more than 1.6 million Danish women, aged 15-49. Between 2001 and 2010, the study found more than 3,400 cases of venous thrombosis, including deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. The study found that women who used the NuvaRing had a 6.5 times higher risk of developing a serious blood clot than women who did not use hormonal contraception. In addition, the researchers noted “the vaginal ring conferred a 90% higher risk of venous thrombosis than did combined oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel, bringing the risk to the same level as that of combined oral contraceptives with third and fourth generation progestogens.” The researchers concluded that it was “generally” advisable for women to use combined oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel or norgestimate rather than transdermal patches or vaginal rings such as NuvaRing.
The BMJ study is the second major study to conclude that NuvaRing is a dangerous drug. In October 2011, a drug safety report published by the Food and Drug Administration concluded that the hormones released by NuvRing caused a higher sustained exposure to estrogen, resulting in “increased thromboembolic risk.”
For more information, contact the Ohio NuvaRing Attorneys at Clark, Perdue & List.
Source: British Medical Journal, “Venous thrombosis in users of non-oral hormonal contraception: follow-up study, Denmark 2001-10,” Øjvind Lidegaard, et al., March 30, 2012.