Contraception Reviews

Skyla IUD vs Kyleena IUD

Skyla IUD

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Kyleena IUD

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Overview

Rated 3.0

3 reviews

Every 3 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 3.3

24 reviews

Every 5 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Skyla IUD ingredients

Main hormones in Skyla IUD

Androgenic progestin


Kyleena IUD ingredients

Main hormones in Kyleena IUD

Androgenic progestin

What Lowdown reviewers say

Mood

67% somewhat negative

Bleeds

100% spotting

Sex drive

67% don’t know impact

Weight

67% no impact

Skin

67% no impact on skin

Cycle return

100% in 1 month

Mood

33% no impact on mood

Bleeds

46% lighter periods

Sex drive

46% no impact

Weight

38% no impact

Skin

42% no impact on skin

Cycle return

33% in 1 month

Benefits: What this birth control can help with

Heavy periods

Heavy periods

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Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Skyla IUD reviews

3 reviews

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Jun 25

Skyla IUD  

I got the IUD put in and since then I have experienced intense nausea and frequent headaches.

Read more

Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  5th May 24

Skyla IUD  

Overall I really disliked this IUD. The insertion was extremely painful. I experienced spotting everyday for 6 months. When I started to get monthly bleeding again I would get debilitating cramps that caused me to miss work and school.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  23rd Jan 24

Skyla IUD  

This is the only form Of birth control that I have chosen to continue out of pills, rings. And other iuds


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

1 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Jun 25

Skyla IUD  

I got the IUD put in and since then I have experienced intense nausea and frequent headaches.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  5th May 24

Skyla IUD  

Overall I really disliked this IUD. The insertion was extremely painful. I experienced spotting everyday for 6 months. When I started to get monthly bleeding again I would get debilitating cramps that caused me to miss work and school.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  23rd Jan 24

Skyla IUD  

This is the only form Of birth control that I have chosen to continue out of pills, rings. And other iuds


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

1 helpful

0 comments


Kyleena IUD reviews

24 reviews

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  1 day ago

Kyleena IUD  

I'm almost 28 years old, have had periods for the last decade and a half. They have always been regular and heavy to the point that if I didn't take iron supplements 5x a week and tranexamic acid during my periods, I'd have anemia. So I got Kyleena in December 2024. Insertion was fine, some cramping but nothing too serious. I had cramping on and off during the times my periods were supposed to come and some spotting/bleeding, but it was usually what I saw towards the beginning of my cycle. I had one reduced-level period in mid-August. I have had to go from 36D to 36DD to 36DDD/38DD bras over the span of a few months. At first I thought it was just weight gain (went from 170 to 195lb), but I have been almost 200lb before and my breast size increased this much this quickly. Even after losing 10 pounds my breast size has shown little to no decrease. I hate it. I also suspect that the IUD influenced my sciatica in my lumbar spine, which began in February 2025 and has taken several weeks of PT and a round of oral steroids to resolve. I am still not up to 100% all these months later. Overall a 2/5. The decreased period length, flow, and frequency is almost not enough to justify having this torture device in. If I get pregnant w/this in, I'll be so angry.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
20 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  11th Aug 25

Kyleena IUD  

Do not recommend if you’re prone to headaches or migraines loss of appetite from being nauseous


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  9th Jul 25

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 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  1 day ago

Kyleena IUD  

I'm almost 28 years old, have had periods for the last decade and a half. They have always been regular and heavy to the point that if I didn't take iron supplements 5x a week and tranexamic acid during my periods, I'd have anemia. So I got Kyleena in December 2024. Insertion was fine, some cramping but nothing too serious. I had cramping on and off during the times my periods were supposed to come and some spotting/bleeding, but it was usually what I saw towards the beginning of my cycle. I had one reduced-level period in mid-August. I have had to go from 36D to 36DD to 36DDD/38DD bras over the span of a few months. At first I thought it was just weight gain (went from 170 to 195lb), but I have been almost 200lb before and my breast size increased this much this quickly. Even after losing 10 pounds my breast size has shown little to no decrease. I hate it. I also suspect that the IUD influenced my sciatica in my lumbar spine, which began in February 2025 and has taken several weeks of PT and a round of oral steroids to resolve. I am still not up to 100% all these months later. Overall a 2/5. The decreased period length, flow, and frequency is almost not enough to justify having this torture device in. If I get pregnant w/this in, I'll be so angry.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
20 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  11th Aug 25

Kyleena IUD  

Do not recommend if you’re prone to headaches or migraines loss of appetite from being nauseous


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  9th Jul 25

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
23 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  11th Jun 25

Kyleena IUD  

I’ve only been on it for going on 3 weeks now. The first week was cramping and low back pain. Week 2 was nausea and hunger pains. I’m starting week 3 now and I’m working with my hunger, tiredness, and possibly some mood swings. So far I really like it. I don’t feel it, it doesn’t hurt or nothing.


Improved skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
21 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  28th Apr 25

Kyleena IUD  

I got the Kyleena prescribed off-label to me after suffering from ridiculously heavy periods in my teens. I used to bleed 200mls+ on some periods and even Tranexamic acid didn’t help. This IUD has been an absolute life-saver and my periods are so much lighter. I will admit I have experienced some side effects - I used to have clear skin 95% of the time, however since the IUD I permanently have 1 or 2 pimples around my jawline which can be quite annoying. My periods are often very long now (7-11 days) despite being light which also gets frustrating. Those are the two main side effects I’ve experienced, but overall it’s been a positive experience.


Worse skin

10 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
21 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  28th Apr 25

Kyleena IUD  

I got the Kyleena prescribed off-label for my heavy menstrual bleeding. I used to bleed sometimes over 200ml per period, even Tranexamic acid didn’t help. This IUD has been a life saver - my periods are so much lighter. Overall it’s been a positive experience. I won’t pretend it doesn’t have other side effects though. My periods are now way longer than they used to be (7-11 days) although not heavy at all. I also had clear skin 95% of the time prior to the IUD but now I permanently have one or two pimples around my jawline which can be pretty annoying.


Worse skin

11 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
38 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  20th Apr 25

Kyleena IUD  

I’m pretty pleased for the most part. It’s my 2nd IUD, first hormonal one. My periods are pretty much gone and I love that. They were pretty bad before. The downside is that my scalp sweats PROFUSELY with very little physical exertion and my face is super oily. So much so that I have several pimples along and into my hairline. I’m very upset about that. I’m on month 7 and the pimples just started, but the sweating and oil started almost right away.


Worse skin

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
46 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  4th Jan 25

Kyleena IUD  

I just had it inserted yesterday.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  23rd Oct 24

Kyleena IUD  

Didn't use it long enough to really form an opinion yet, but the reason I got it in the first place was because of very heavy periods and cramps. It has helped with that.


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  28th May 24

Kyleena IUD  

Getting it in hurt briefly, but tolerable. The first period after getting it was early and super intense, and I continued having spotting most days for the first three months or so, but bleeding dwindled over time and by a year later I was barely getting periods at all, which was great.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Birth control alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Skyla IUD with other birth control

Compare the Kyleena IUD with other birth control

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