The drug I chose to research was birth control. People generally think of a drug causing instant notable psychoactive effects, thus birth control likely wouldn’t be the first thing to come to mind when you hear the word “drug”. Nonetheless it is a prescription drug. More specifically, I decided to research NuvaRing. NuvaRing is a contraception method that involves inserting a “ring” into your vagina, where it sits for up to three weeks and releases a continuous dose of hormones. It has been shown to be 98% effective in preventing pregnancy. The reason I chose to research birth control is because the advertising techniques birth control companies use are always so happy go lucky, and I’ve always found them to be incredibly ironic and comical.

The company that invented NuvaRing is Organon. Organon is a Dutch pharmaceutical company started in the Netherlands. The company was bought by Schering-Plough which is a corporation based in New Jersey. The company has now been acquired by Merck & Co since 2009. The company specializes in reproductive medicine, contraception, psychiatry, HRT, and amnesia. The company sells to international markets. Manufacturing their drugs in numerous countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Ireland, China, Japan and the US. According to CNN, NuvaRing is sold in more than 50 countries, and there have been over 44 million prescriptions filled for women in the US alone. According to CNN, 3,800 claims have been filed against Merck alleging that the manufacturer has “failed to adequately warn consumers about a heightened risk of blood clots associated with the use of NuvaRing”. NuvaRing has been known to have the potential to cause blood clots in its users. According to CNN, there have been handfuls of deaths reported from blood clots causing heart attacks in women who use NuvaRing. One young woman died, in 2015, from a heart attack due to blood clotting. The pharmaceutical company agreed to pay $100 million in damages, although to her family no amount of money would do any justice.

The intended audience for this drug is women. To state the obvious, it’s a birth control method designed for a woman. Besides that point, the advertisements are filled with women looking uncomfortable until they switch to NuvaRing, where they are free to be who they want to be, take their hair down, put some sunglasses on and sit back and relax. These women don’t have to worry about anything. They can sit back and relax by the pool! Or in another advertisement, like the one below, the woman’s mind is so jam packed with the thoughts of everyday life, that she doesn’t have any space to fit in the effort of remembering to take her birth control. Once she takes NuvaRing, she can focus on other things that fill their mind, like puppies!! These advertisements can be found in women’s magazines, TV commercials, doctors’ offices, etc.

According to drugs.com, the active ingredients in NuvaRing are ethylene vinylacetate copolymers, and magnesium stearate, which make up the physical ring itself. The ring also contains 11.7 mg etonogestrel, which is a drug that prevents ovulation, and 2.7 mg ethinyl estradiol, which is a synthetic form of estrogram. These active ingredients have been reported to have an effect on mood. Many people reported having intense mood swings. Allergic reactions and hives have also been prevalent with the usage of these drugs. According to rxlist.com, The more severe side effects have included blood clots, vaginal infections and irritation, nausea, vomiting, changes in weight or appetite, and many more.  These drugs are not considered to be addictive, but women tend to use them for prolonged periods of time that can impose serious health risks on the body. According to bodyecology.com, These health risks include, an increased risk of cervical and breast cancers, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, infertility, gall bladder disease, and many more. To be completely fair and honest, the NuvaRing.com website does make it pretty clear that there may be risks associated with their product.

The advertising techniques they used were all enlightening. They chose bright happy colors, the sun was shining, the women are singing and swimming, and when the lady finally “breaks away from her daily birth control” she’s free to let her hair down and kick back by the pool where she is served a refreshing drink (with a lemon in it!) by a handsome man. These of course are all deceptive. Starting NuvaRing is not going to have men serving you drinks by the pool. You’re not anymore “free” than you were beforehand. You won’t automatically gain the self confidence that is portrayed by the main actress. In another advertisement, on their website, nuvaring.com, they are portraying this woman as “busy”, with so many things filling her mind. Those things just so happen to be a puppy and some groceries, which in my opinion is promoting the gender stereotype that women belong in the kitchen. But after using NuvaRing, the women is seen meditating, she is now mindful and at peace, filled with blue skies and lotus flowers.

To be completely honest, I have a pretty neutral opinion on the drug. I personally don’t have any experience with this drug, so I don’t have any personal advice or experience to give. I have heard success stories and horror stories from women who have used this drug. For some people it is very convenient and works really well for them. For others, they experience horrible side effects, and for a select few, they even faced death. I think deciding to use this drug all depends on personal preference and what you think is best for you. Everybody’s schedules, priorities, and situations are different. For me personally, I don’t like the idea of a foreign object being inside of me for long periods of time, and the heightened risk of blood clots that have been reported by many, doesn’t seem worth the risk in my opinion. Although all birth control methods come with a “risk”, the risk has been said to be significantly higher with the use of NuvaRing in comparison to other contraceptive methods such as the patch, or the pill.

References:

Kaye, R., & Shepherd, S. (2015, April 07). Families, lawsuits, raise questions about NuvaRing. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/06/us/families-lawsuits-raise-questions-about-nuvaring/index.html

Common Side Effects of NuvaRing (Etonogestrel, Ethinyl Estradiol Vaginal Ring) Drug Center. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2017, from https://www.rxlist.com/nuvaring-side-effects-drug-center.htm

How NuvaRing Works. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2017, from https://www.nuvaring.com/how-nuvaring-works/

The Dangers Every Woman Needs to Know About the Birth Control Pill. (2011, April 27). Retrieved October 25, 2017, from https://bodyecology.com/articles/dangers_birth_control_pill.php