Annovera^®

Annovera® is a flexible, silicone ring that is inserted into the vagina and releases a steady dose of estrogen and progestin to prevent ovulation and pregnancy. You insert Annovera® into your vagina yourself and leave it in for 21 days. You then remove the ring, wash it with mild soap and lukewarm water, and store it in a plastic case for 7 days. During that time you have a period or withdrawal bleed, then after 7 days, you insert it again. The Annovera® vaginal ring remains effective for 13 cycles.

Overall, the side effects of Annovera® are similar to those of other forms of hormonal birth control containing both estrogen and progestin. During a clinical trial of more than 2000 women using Annovera®, the side effects that caused women to stop using Annovera® included irregular bleeding, headaches, vaginal discharge, vaginal infections, and nausea. Each of these side effects was experienced by fewer than 2% of the women participating. In addition, 1.4% of the women stopped using Annovera® because it didn’t stay in place in their vaginas.

Annovera® is effective for a year, or for 13 cycles lasting 21 days each with a 7 day break between cycles, which is when you experience a period or withdrawal bleed. After each 7-day break you re-insert the Annovera® ring for another 21 day cycle. Annovera® has not been studied for continuous use and period skipping.

The Annovera® ring is bigger and thicker than NuvaRing®. You must replace NuvaRing®® every month, but one Annovera® ring lasts for an entire year. You do not need to refrigerate Annovera® when it is not in use.

In addition, the hormones released by Annovera® are different than those released by NuvaRing®. Annovera® contains a lower dose of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) than NuvaRing®. Annovera® releases 13 mcg of estrogen per day and NuvaRing® releases 15 mcg per day. The only birth control formula with a lower dose of estrogen than Annovera® is the birth control pill Lo Loestrin® FE, which contains 10 mcg of estrogen daily.

Annovera® contains a different type of progestin than NuvaRing®. The progestin in Annovera® is a new formula that may result in fewer side effects in comparison to the progestins found in other types of birth control.

Annovera® is designed to remain in during sex and should not interfere with sex in any way. However, if you prefer to remove Annovera® during sex you can do so for up to two hours. If you leave Annovera® outside of your body for longer than two hours you should use a back-up form of birth control for 7 days to prevent pregnancy.

Your Nurx medical provider will partner with you to find the best care for your symptoms and medical concerns. As medically appropriate, a Nurx provider may prescribe birth control to help manage symptoms associated with PMS (Premenstrual syndrome) and/or PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric disorder), or to help with cycle control (delayed period). In some cases, birth control may also be used to help manage symptoms of endometriosis and/or PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) and to assist with improving acne. While the use of birth control is considered “off-label” for these listed purposes, a licensed Nurx clinician may prescribe birth control if they deem doing so medically appropriate.

Consultation
Anyone who requests a birth control prescription will be charged an $18 consultation fee. Please note that at this time, we do not submit claims to insurance for the medical consult fee.

Medication
For those with health insurance, your prescription will be free in most cases if it is covered by your health insurance, and we accept your plan. Insurance companies set the “copay” for prescriptions and depending on your plan and the prescription, this will usually be $0. Please connect with your insurance company if you would like to learn more about your copay. If you do have a copay, Nurx will authorize a $30 hold at checkout. If your copay is over $30, you will receive a notification to approve the updated amount.

Support Fee
Nurx will charge a flat $3 support fee each month one or more of your orders are processed. This fee covers your unlimited, on-demand access to our customer care team as well as certain processing fees. This fee will only be charged once in any month, even if you have multiple orders processed that month. This fee applies whether the order is filled through Nurx or at your local pharmacy. If your order is filled via Nurx, the support fee is billed at the time of fulfillment. If your prescription is sent to a local pharmacy, a support fee will be applied at that time. In the future, the support fee will be applied on a cadence that matches your medication refill cadence.

Yes, we accept most forms of private health insurance for medications. If you’d like to know if we accept your health insurance plan, please connect with our team at [email protected]. Please note that at this time, we do not submit claims to insurance for the medical consult fee.
Nurx does not accept any federal or state government insurance plans, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, or any of their affiliated managed care plans, nor can Nurx service such patients. We recommend that you find a local provider in your community that participates in your government payer program.