Q:
I accidentally left my Nuvaring in for one extra week. I was supposed to take it out on the 23rd but counted the days wrong and removed it today (the 30th). Will my period still come? (I did check for pregnancy with an over the counter test and it came back negative.) I'm VERY on schedule when it comes to the ring but this month I counted the days wrong, am I still going to be ok?
A:
The ring's effectiveness during this past week is questionable as the hormone content drops. If you are at risk for pregnancy, it would be due to intercourse within the past week, so a pregnancy test would not be accurate until 10 days after your last intercourse.
The wisest course of action is to insert a new ring now and complete another three week cycle. You may still have spotting but unlikely to have an actual period. You must use a backup method (condoms) for the next month because the lower hormone levels last week may result in ovulation and higher pregnancy risk.
~The Doc
