Steroid-releasing vaginal rings: a review

Abstract

The vaginal route of administration of contraceptive steroids offers a number of advantages over oral or injectable preparations. Firstly, the device can be inserted, removed and replaced by the subject herself without the need of medical or paramedical personnel. The fact that it is in situ can be easily checked which is not always the case with an IUD. The vaginal rings that have been developed have a constant release rate of drug which results in steady plasma levels which is not the case with oral preparations1. The vaginal absorption of the steroid avoids the `first pass' effect of the liver which means that the drug reaches the target organ without having entered the enterohepatic circulation.