Contraception Reviews

Natural family planning vs Hormonal IUD

Natural family planning

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Hormonal IUD

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Overview

Rated 2.9

4 reviews

Daily

Frequency

77% - 98%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 3.6

38 reviews

3 - 8 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Natural family planning ingredients

Fertility awareness methods is an umbrella term for a method of birth control that works by being able to identify when in the menstrual cycle you are fertile through a range of factors.

Hormonal IUD ingredients

Main hormones in Hormonal IUD

progestin

What Lowdown reviewers say

Mood

29% no impact on mood

Bleeds

68% stopped periods

Sex drive

57% lost sex drive

Weight

49% gained weight

Skin

59% no impact on skin

Cycle return

37% don’t know impact

Mood

47% no impact on mood

Bleeds

55% stopped periods

Sex drive

40% no impact

Weight

50% no impact

Skin

45% no impact on skin

Cycle return

56% in 1 month

Benefits: What this birth control can help with

There are no benefits that are recognised in scientific research or guidelines for this birth control

Adenomyosis

Endometriosis

Heavy periods

Menopause

Period pain

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Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Natural family planning reviews

4 reviews

Natural family planning  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
22 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  28th Dec 23

Natural Cycles App  

Overall, I felt that this was a safer option. I only switched to the mini pill in an effort to get a handle on my PCOS pelvic pain.

Read more

Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Natural family planning  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
35 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  25th Jul 23

Natural Cycles App  

I was previously on the contraceptive pill, and as soon as i came off it i was immediately more in tune with my body, could feel the sex drive boost around ovulation etc and lost the weight the pill had put on me.


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Natural family planning  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Jul 23

Natural Cycles App  

I feel like I've gotten to know my body! I really like the partner view so my husband knows when I'm fertile and won't try to initiate sex. After a terrible experience with hormonal birth control, this makes me feel in control and it has taught me so much!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Natural family planning  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
22 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  28th Dec 23

Natural Cycles App  

Overall, I felt that this was a safer option. I only switched to the mini pill in an effort to get a handle on my PCOS pelvic pain.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Natural family planning  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
35 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  25th Jul 23

Natural Cycles App  

I was previously on the contraceptive pill, and as soon as i came off it i was immediately more in tune with my body, could feel the sex drive boost around ovulation etc and lost the weight the pill had put on me.


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Natural family planning  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Jul 23

Natural Cycles App  

I feel like I've gotten to know my body! I really like the partner view so my husband knows when I'm fertile and won't try to initiate sex. After a terrible experience with hormonal birth control, this makes me feel in control and it has taught me so much!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments


Hormonal IUD reviews

38 reviews

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
42 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  4th Aug 24

Mirena IUD  

After 14 months I pretty much don't have a period, but I still have light to moderate cramping a couple of times a month.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  29th Jul 24

Mirena IUD  

Great experience, insertion cramping was minimal. Got pregnant 4 months after removal.


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
38 years old
🇺🇸 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

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
42 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  4th Aug 24

Mirena IUD  

After 14 months I pretty much don't have a period, but I still have light to moderate cramping a couple of times a month.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  29th Jul 24

Mirena IUD  

Great experience, insertion cramping was minimal. Got pregnant 4 months after removal.


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
38 years old
🇺🇸 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

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
31 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  24th May 24

Kyleena IUD  

I have been on kyleena almost 5 years, January 2025 it will be 5 and little to no problems. But I didn't know there was a mucus discharge, had thought I always had a yeast infection. Almost time to get a new one and I've started spotting again.


Increased sex drive

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
44 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  17th May 24

Liletta IUD  

I could feel it when I exercised always. Starting year 5 I had terrible cystic acne and lower back pain that travelled down my left leg to my knee. It’s been 4 days since it was removed and my back is already feeling better. A heavy period starting the night I had it removed. It’s been going on 4 days and it is still heavy. I am hoping the acne goes away over time since it is out. It was nice not having heavy periods but not at the expense of my face and back. I have had to see a Dermatologist for several years now and the treatments don’t help much. I also saw a back doc and had a shot to help with the pain along with physical therapy for a few months. The shot helped for a month or two but the pain returned. I gained weight because it was uncomfortable to exercise and feel the IUD even when I walked uphill and the back and left leg pain. Insertion was traumatizing and I was conscious sedated for the removal which was a much better experience. Women should not have to go through that without conscious sedating. We should also be provided with more info on what to expect when we get it, how it might age, what to look for side effect wise, and guidance on getting it out and the aftermath. Terrible experience


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
22 years old
🇺🇸 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 8+ yr
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  17th Apr 24

Mirena IUD  

I got my first Mirena when I was 17. I would describe the insertion process as uncomfortable but not painful. I did have a vagal response (came close to passing out) right after, but it didn't last long, I just needed to sit for a minute. I experienced very light cramping for about 4-6 days afterwards. I did lose some weight that year that may have been attributed to the birth control, I went from 120lbs to 100lbs (there were no other pressing reasons for the quick change in my weight other than the BC, perhaps stress as it was my senior year of high school). At the time, the Mirena was thought to be effective for five years, so I had it removed and replaced with another Mirena when I was 22. The removal and reinsertion was more uncomfortable than the initial insertion, but totally manageable in my experience. Overall, I did not experience many hormonal side effects that I noticed. I pretty much stopped menstruating after the first few months of having it, aside from very occasional, very light spotting. I would sometimes experience symptoms of PMS without the bleeding (a little fatigue, some mood changes). I did develop some cystic acne in the first 1-3 years of being on my second IUD, but it was truly not much and never lasted long. My favorite part of this method is how effective and easy to use it is. I was truly never concerned about pregnancy from 17-27 which allowed for a lot of freedom in terms of my sex life. In my long term relationship, we do not use condoms (both have been screened for STIs) and I feel completely safe and comfortable with my partner not pulling out (I know that's a personal detail but I what to emphasize that that's how effective it truly is in my experience). I did recently decide to remove my hormonal IUD and replace it with the non-hormonal IUD. My Mirena still had at least 2 years left in it, but since I had not had a period or had gone through that natural, hormonal process in 10 years, I wanted to give my body a break from hormonal birth control to develop that relationship with my body. If I did not have the option/privilege to change methods, I would have 100% kept my Mirena until it expired, and probably got a third one.


Worse skin

1 more effect

2 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 8+ yr
46 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  11th Apr 24

Mirena IUD  

Love the Mirena!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  25th Mar 24

Kyleena IUD  

This caused pain/vomiting/inability to sleep for 3 months after insertion. I was promised it would improve, and told to just keep giving it time. Severe menstrual cramps continued the whole 2 years that I had this. Doctors promised many times over the 2 years that my symptoms were normal and/or not due to the IUD(both incorrect). Around the 9 month mark I began to develop progesterone hypersensitivity autoimmune disease. This continued to progress until I removed it. This new condition landed me in the ER multiple times due to anaphylaxis: asthma, heart palpitations, high BP, frequent fainting, extreme rashes etc. I had to quit my job because I was not functional on any level. Luckily I eventually figured it out.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal IUD  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  12th Mar 24

Kyleena IUD  

It is nice to never be worried about pregnancy. The random bleeding, frequent cramping unrelated to bleeding, and breast shrinkage has not been great.. but all better than pregnancy i guess. I am definitely more emotional. I used to cry 1 day/month typically day before starting my period. I now cry ~70% of the month.


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

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