NuvaRing vs. Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP) for In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Pre-treatment

A Randomized Controlled Trial of NuvaRing® Versus Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills for Pre-treatment in In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Cycles

The newly designed contraceptive ring, Nuvaring has a lower total steroid dose, and medications are delivered locally. It has been proven to be as safe and effective as the combined OCP in ovarian suppression and preventing ovulation with fewer side effects due to minimal systemic absorption. Following a single vaginal insertion, steroid concentrations remain stable for up to 4 weeks. It is hypothesized that Nuvaring may, therefore lead to better compliance, tolerability and acceptance by patients requiring ovarian suppression prior to COH for IVF.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients less than 38 years of age.
• Healthy women starting their first IVF/ICSI cycle.
• No contraindication to Combined Oral Contraceptive (COC) use. Appendix 1
• Consent to randomization.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any contraindication to COC use.
• Hypersensitivity to Nuva ring or any of its components.
• Language barrier to consent.