8. Nuvaring – Contraceptive Ring
via healthgalleries.com
This once-a-month contraceptive ring was introduced to the US in 2001, by Dutch pharmaceutical Oragnon (now Merck). Possessing a dual mechanism of action, it quickly became popular among women. It works by releasing low doses of progestin and estrogen over a three week period. This prevents ovulation from occurring. It also limits the penetration of sperm cells. Plus, the fact that it’s only used once a month made it really popular.
Despite looking like the Holy Grail of contraceptives, many users have duffers from severe side effects. The company highlighted only the minor side effects like headaches and nausea. But, they failed to educate users on severe ones like an increased risk of blood clots which can lead to heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis and stroke.
In 2008, lawsuits were filed by women who claimed to have developed blood clots after using the drug. There are currently over 1,700 lawsuits against Nuvaring.
The company is accused of failing to disclose known dangerous side effects and that the active ingredient in the drug, Etonogestrel, was inadequately tested before NuvaRing’s release.
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