Contraception Reviews

Hormonal IUD vs Mini pill

Hormonal IUD

Want to switch birth control?

Mini pill

Want to switch birth control?

Overview

Rated 3.7

61 reviews

3 - 8 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 3.4

28 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Hormonal IUD ingredients

Main hormones in Hormonal IUD

progestin


Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Mini pill

progestin

What Lowdown reviewers say

Mood

43% no impact on mood

Bleeds

43% stopped periods

Sex drive

43% no impact

Weight

49% no impact

Skin

43% no impact on skin

Cycle return

50% in 1 month

Mood

32% no impact on mood

Bleeds

36% stopped periods

Sex drive

43% no impact

Weight

50% no impact

Skin

39% no impact on skin

Cycle return

60% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this birth control can help with

Adenomyosis

Endometriosis

Heavy periods

Menopause

Period pain

Period pain

Heavy menstrual bleeding

Try it now

Want to switch birth control?

Try it now

Want to switch birth control?

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Hormonal IUD reviews

61 reviews

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  2 days ago

Mirena IUD  

So far i’m loving mine! The spotting for the first month has been very annoying but nothing horrible. Cramping went away in four days, only negative so far is i’ve had a lower heat tolerance and (i’m blonde) my leg hair has gotten DARK. I have been consistently loosing weight since starting and plus, in my opinion, my sex drive is way up. My partner is on testosterone therapy so i’m finally able to keep up with him and we love it! I highly recommend so far!

Read more

Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  6 days ago

Kyleena IUD  

TLDR: -If you struggle with PMS already, please ask your doctor about the effects progesterone only birth control can have. I wish I had known that it can make it worse. -Expect new kinds of cramps. For me it was lightning rectum pain


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
15 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  2 weeks ago

Mirena IUD  

So far I've had this for about a month and some change and I love it! Made my period significantly less painful this time around ❤️


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  2 days ago

Mirena IUD  

So far i’m loving mine! The spotting for the first month has been very annoying but nothing horrible. Cramping went away in four days, only negative so far is i’ve had a lower heat tolerance and (i’m blonde) my leg hair has gotten DARK. I have been consistently loosing weight since starting and plus, in my opinion, my sex drive is way up. My partner is on testosterone therapy so i’m finally able to keep up with him and we love it! I highly recommend so far!


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  6 days ago

Kyleena IUD  

TLDR: -If you struggle with PMS already, please ask your doctor about the effects progesterone only birth control can have. I wish I had known that it can make it worse. -Expect new kinds of cramps. For me it was lightning rectum pain


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
15 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  2 weeks ago

Mirena IUD  

So far I've had this for about a month and some change and I love it! Made my period significantly less painful this time around ❤️


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments


Mini pill reviews

28 reviews

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  26th May 25

Mini pill  

I lost so much hair. I’m done using this. My periods are more painful, I’m so tired now


Improved skin

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Apr 25

Mini pill  

Best bc pill experience I've had


Worse skin

1 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  16th Apr 25

Slynd birth control pill  

Really love it! I can skip my periods, don't experience migraines and my acne cleared up!


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  26th May 25

Mini pill  

I lost so much hair. I’m done using this. My periods are more painful, I’m so tired now


Improved skin

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Apr 25

Mini pill  

Best bc pill experience I've had


Worse skin

1 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  16th Apr 25

Slynd birth control pill  

Really love it! I can skip my periods, don't experience migraines and my acne cleared up!


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  31st Mar 25

Slynd birth control pill  

I gained 30 pounds after starting this birth control. Could not figure out what was going on with my body until I found a reddit thread where other people were experiencing the same.


Worse skin

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Feb 25

Slynd birth control pill  

I’m hoping it gets better. Switched from Errin to Slynd 6 months ago. Hair loss stopped. Acne got better. Those were an immediate win. Month 1 - bled for 1 week. Month 2 - bled for 3 weeks. Month 3 - bled for 2.5 weeks. Month 4 - bled for 2 weeks. Month 5 - bled for 1.5 weeks. Month 6 - bled for 1 week. I naturally have a short cycle, and in the process of trying to force my cycle into a 30 day cadence, I’ve gotten 1-2 days per month of severe headaches before my period (thought my head would blow off without Tylenol) and minor dull headaches for ~1 week before each period. The headaches didn’t happen with Errin - but they are happening with Slynd (and also happened a few year back when I took the combo pill).


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  15th Feb 25

Slynd birth control pill  

It does what it needs to do, pregnancy prevention. Intense emotional fluctuations following the “usual” postpartum journey is definitely a downside


Very negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  31st Dec 24

Slynd birth control pill  

N/A


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
33 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  29th Dec 24

Slynd birth control pill  

My experience thus far has been great with minor concerns for acne.


Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  19th Nov 24

Norethindrone 0.35 birth control pill  

started taking it about a week and a half ago. i missed a day on sunday, so i took two on monday. today is tuesday and im having terrible cramps. other than that, emotionally its better than the combination pill.


Worse skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  2nd Nov 24

Norethindrone 0.35 birth control pill  

This pill improved my sex drive which had been very reduced by the combination pill. It allowed me to put on more muscle too! The weight gain was mostly muscle, which I was so happy about. It was just hard to take the same exact time everyday.


Somewhat positive mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Birth control alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Hormonal IUD with other birth control

Don’t keep it on the DL.Put it on the LD.

Slide into our DMs

hello@thelowdown.com

Sitemap

©The Lowdown 2025