A once-a-month method like the ring requires less effort than many other options out there, but there are certainly other effective methods that require even less work.

The extra discharge you are experiencing from using the ring is probably normal. After a couple of cycles, this discharge may go back to normal.

Also, the ring may protect you from a bacterial infection that can occur in the vagina called bacterial vaginosis (BV).

If you’re concerned that the vaginal discharge that you’re experiencing may be caused by an infection, visit your health care provider.

There’s a chance you’re not inserting the ring correctly.

Try this: Use an empty tampon inserter to push it in all the way.

Since we don’t exactly know what you’re paying now, we’ll cover a few scenarios to see if we can help you out:

If you’re on Medicaid, the ring might be free for you. If you have private insurance, it’s probably covered for no more than your copay.

If those aren’t options for you, check with the family planning clinics around you and find out if they offer free or low-cost birth control. Most do.

Another solution might be to ask your partner to help pay for the expense.

You could also check the NuvaRing website for discounts and coupons.

You can always pull the ring out when you’re getting busy. Just be sure to rinse it with cool water and reinsert it within 3 hours. And only do that once within a 24-hour time period.

Any form of birth control is better than no birth control when it comes to the environment. But let’s look a little closer at the claim that hormones in birth control are getting into the environment through lady pee. The simple answer is: yes, it is. But—and this is a big but—it is small compared to other sources of estrogen.

Current research finds that the contribution of EE2 (the primary active ingredient in the pill, the ring, the patch, and the shot) to the total amount of estrogen in of our waterways is small. Bigger—much bigger—sources of estrogen in the environment come from industrial and manufacturing processes; agricultural fertilizers and pesticides; the drugs we give livestock; and the waste and runoff produced by these sources.

Simply removing hormones from contraceptives will not eliminate the environmental impacts of estrogenic compounds. It’s much better to buy organic (if you can!) and even better to tell Congress to do its job and regulate chemicals, than to forego birth control. From Mother Earth’s standpoint, any form of birth control is better than no birth control.

For purists who don’t want to add any hormones to the environment or to their body, no matter how small, there are options for you. Natural latex condoms and the copper IUD are two frequently cited examples of ultra green contraceptives. But whatever your decision, decide on a method and don’t give up.

Tampons and menstrual cups do not interfere with the ring’s effectiveness. If your ring is in when you remove your tampon or cup, you might pull it out a bit, which might be annoying if it happens a lot.

When inserting your tampon or cup, make sure that your ring is all the way in first, and then position the tampon or cup afterwards. If you do end up pulling the ring out, you can rinse it in warm water and re-insert it right away.