The past two hundred years of industrialization, modernization, and advances in scientific research has seen the development and use of new products, devices, medicines, drugs, chemicals, and hormones, etc on a regular basis. Many times in the past scientific research and development has provided excellent new medicines, formulations, chemicals, and products for mankind’s age-old problems. One such problem is birth control. In the past, women did not feel the need for birth control as much as they do now. The reasons are many and varied. Women opt for birth control due to work or family pressures, medical reasons, hectic lifestyle, not ready to start a family yet, or a hundred other reasons. Whatever the reason maybe, women have been increasingly using contraception methods and devices, including trying out newer third generation contraceptive devices like Nuvaring. But trying out a new product has its drawback such as the ones that have been reported about Nuvaring and blood clots. Blood clots or thrombosis is just one of Problems of Nuvaring.
Using a new product or device without being fully aware of its drawbacks and hazards can sometimes be life threatening as in the case of Nuvaring birth control. There have been many reports and lawsuits against the company manufacturing Nuvaring, by hundreds of women, for the Problems with Nuvaring and its usage. The regular use of Nuvaring doubles the risk of blood clots or DVT (Deep vein thrombosis) and the company has acknowledged this fact in its labeling. Nuvaring and blood clots have become so closely associated that they have become synonymous. Blood clots occur when the blood starts to thicken and form clots and globules. These clots start forming in the legs and thighs referred to as DVT. This by itself is not life threatening, but if the blood clots dislodge from the veins in the legs and thighs, they could travel to the lungs, heart, and brain, through the veins, and this could be dangerous and life threatening.
Many Problems with Nuvaring have been reported and documented, including Nuvaring and blood clots. But blood clots are just the beginning. The other problems that could arise due to the use of Nuvaring are ischemic or brain strokes, pulmonary embolism and heart attacks. According to studies by Public Citizen, approximately 30 blood clots per 100,000 occur in women using third-generation contraceptives like Nuvaring. Compare this to 15 blood clots per 100,000 in women using second-generation birth control. The difference in second-generation and third-generation birth control devices is the use of hormones. The third-generation devices like Nuvaring contain a new form of the hormone progestin. This new form of progestin – desogestrel – has been found to be the culprit leading to Problems with Nuvaring and the whole issue of Nuvaring and blood clots.
Extensive studies conducted have proved this fact and even the US FDA has acknowledged that all third-generation birth control devices containing desogestrel increase and in fact double the risk of DVT and other life threatening issues like strokes, embolisms, and heart attacks.