Cap or diaphragm vs Combined pill

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Cap or diaphragm

Add your cap or diaphragm review

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 3.9

15 reviews

During or before sex

Frequency

84% - 94%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2662 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Cap or diaphragm ingredients

A contraceptive diaphragm or cap is a circular dome made of thin soft silicone although they come in different shapes sizes and materials. You need to use it with a gel that kills sperm called spermicide. The most common active ingredient of spermicides is nonoxynol-9.

Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

87% no impact on mood

87% no change

93% no impact

100% no impact

80% no impact on skin

Cycle return

50% in 1 month

31% somewhat negative

47% lighter periods

46% lost sex drive

48% no impact

43% improved skin

Cycle return

36% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

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

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

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Add your cap or diaphragm review

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£From £0.16/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Cap or diaphragm reviews

15 reviews

Cap or diaphragm  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6th Apr 25

Cap or diaphragm  

I’ve enjoyed using the cap around my fertile window but struggle to feel 100% confident I have inserted it correctly. When removing the cap I notice a lot of discharge but not after use, only when removing. Way better than the pill or condoms for me.

Read more

Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Cap or diaphragm  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th May 24

Cap or diaphragm  

Apart from the issue I'm currently dealing with (it getting stuck inside of me), I LOVE the diaphragm. I found out I wasn't never fitted (which is why it kept getting stuck upon removal), so my new, awesome doctor actually sized me. It's easier than popping in a tampon once you learn how to do it and then ya pop it out the morning after sex. No side effects, no hormones, no emotional hangover. It's very hard to find though. Pharmaceutical companies don't want women to buy one silicone object that lasts for the rest of your life, so finding the right size and actually getting it has been a challenge. My mom used it and only got pregnant to have me (her only child) and I've been using it for 5+ years with no issues.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Cap or diaphragm  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1st Jan 24

Cap or diaphragm  

I've used Caya several times over the past couple years (they last up to 2 years- due for a new one now). I use it on the edges of my fertile window (with fertility awareness) and/or combined with withdrawal or condoms to boost efficacy during the fertile window. Always use with Caya/Contragel- they come with an applicator to re-insert the gel into the vagina, as you need to reapply the gel each time you have sex. Watching the YouTube instructions on how to put it in (plus the instruction manual in the box!) helped me understand how to use it properly and to have an idea of how it was inserted properly.


Top side effects not reported

2 helpful

2 comments

Cap or diaphragm  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6th Apr 25

Cap or diaphragm  

I’ve enjoyed using the cap around my fertile window but struggle to feel 100% confident I have inserted it correctly. When removing the cap I notice a lot of discharge but not after use, only when removing. Way better than the pill or condoms for me.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Cap or diaphragm  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th May 24

Cap or diaphragm  

Apart from the issue I'm currently dealing with (it getting stuck inside of me), I LOVE the diaphragm. I found out I wasn't never fitted (which is why it kept getting stuck upon removal), so my new, awesome doctor actually sized me. It's easier than popping in a tampon once you learn how to do it and then ya pop it out the morning after sex. No side effects, no hormones, no emotional hangover. It's very hard to find though. Pharmaceutical companies don't want women to buy one silicone object that lasts for the rest of your life, so finding the right size and actually getting it has been a challenge. My mom used it and only got pregnant to have me (her only child) and I've been using it for 5+ years with no issues.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Cap or diaphragm  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1st Jan 24

Cap or diaphragm  

I've used Caya several times over the past couple years (they last up to 2 years- due for a new one now). I use it on the edges of my fertile window (with fertility awareness) and/or combined with withdrawal or condoms to boost efficacy during the fertile window. Always use with Caya/Contragel- they come with an applicator to re-insert the gel into the vagina, as you need to reapply the gel each time you have sex. Watching the YouTube instructions on how to put it in (plus the instruction manual in the box!) helped me understand how to use it properly and to have an idea of how it was inserted properly.


Top side effects not reported

2 helpful

2 comments


Combined pill reviews

2662 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Microgynon 30 pill  

.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
41 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Levest pill  

I am one of the happiest people you will ever meet, I’ve always been positive and upbeat and although of course I have down times like anyone I never stay down for long. Within 3 weeks of taking Levest contraceptive tablets I was like a completely different person and I didn’t know what was happening to me, I cried uncontrollable every day, I didn’t want to be here anymore and was actually thinking of ways I could end my life, I was waking up in the middle of the night with a dark pit feeling in my stomach and felt unbelievably low I didn’t know what was happening to me, then it clicked, the only thing I was doing differently to usual was taking the levest pill. I called the GP the next day and they told me to stop taking it immediately, within 4 days I was back to my usual self mentally then I came on the worst period of my life, like a slaughtered animal and so many blood clots. I’ll never take this pill ever again and would definitely warn others about taking it, who’d have thought a simple contraceptive pill could cause so much harm


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Drovelis pill  

I guess like any pill it took my body a while to get used to the new hormones, and then after about three months I felt like I’d found the best pill ever! No side effects - or so I thought. I didn’t break out, no major mood swings, periods slowly disappeared, cramps weren’t as bad. Then eventually I realised I have absolutely no sexual desire. This pill has completely obliterated my libido. Ironic since I decided to come on the pill to enjoy my honeymoon without worry of pregnancy. Such a shame as well but I’ll have to come off it.


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Microgynon 30 pill  

.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
41 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Levest pill  

I am one of the happiest people you will ever meet, I’ve always been positive and upbeat and although of course I have down times like anyone I never stay down for long. Within 3 weeks of taking Levest contraceptive tablets I was like a completely different person and I didn’t know what was happening to me, I cried uncontrollable every day, I didn’t want to be here anymore and was actually thinking of ways I could end my life, I was waking up in the middle of the night with a dark pit feeling in my stomach and felt unbelievably low I didn’t know what was happening to me, then it clicked, the only thing I was doing differently to usual was taking the levest pill. I called the GP the next day and they told me to stop taking it immediately, within 4 days I was back to my usual self mentally then I came on the worst period of my life, like a slaughtered animal and so many blood clots. I’ll never take this pill ever again and would definitely warn others about taking it, who’d have thought a simple contraceptive pill could cause so much harm


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Drovelis pill  

I guess like any pill it took my body a while to get used to the new hormones, and then after about three months I felt like I’d found the best pill ever! No side effects - or so I thought. I didn’t break out, no major mood swings, periods slowly disappeared, cramps weren’t as bad. Then eventually I realised I have absolutely no sexual desire. This pill has completely obliterated my libido. Ironic since I decided to come on the pill to enjoy my honeymoon without worry of pregnancy. Such a shame as well but I’ll have to come off it.


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
33 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

Yasmin pill  

This pill does what it claims, I noticed some improvement in my skin, I’m prone to mild acne on my chest, back, and face, and those areas have cleared up, which I’m pleased about. However, after 21 days of taking it, there’s a seven-day break, and within two days of that break I experience severe headaches and migraines. They’re often debilitating and leave me bedridden for one to three days. Because of this, I’ve decided to stop taking Yazmin altogether. Everyone reacts differently, but due to the recurring migraines and headaches, this pill just isn’t the right fit for me.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

I’ve always struggled with my mental health, and believe I have PMDD. but before starting this pill I’d been in a really good place for quite while, the first few months where okay but then I started to become more emotional, progressing to depression and severe anxiety. I also experienced a lot of UTIs that led to me being on long term antibiotics, this only started when I started the pill. I did eventually learn to manage the utis and didn’t get any in the last couple of months. But in the week leading up to the break I became very dry and itchy down there. All together just a really bad experience with this one


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
40 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Millinette 20/75 pill  

I'd take microgynon over this pill any day. I'm surprised that a lower dose pill has more unpleasant side effects. Bloating, fluid retention, extreme sickness the first couple of days followed by an insatiable appetite on day 3 plus mood swings and just feeling horrendous.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Lucette pill  

Helped treat my painful cystic acne, good contraceptive. I take continuously and have a break every 3 months if I dont get a period in between. Cramps are worse but lighter periods. Increased sweating (like, drenched), night and day (after minimal activity)


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Dianette pill  

I have been put on Dianette to assist with hirsutism, endometriosis and acne. It has helped with acne. I unfortunately have seen no change in endometriosis symptoms or hirsutism. I have experienced a massive increase in weight, particularly face, arms, stomach which has really impacted my confidence.


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Rigevidon  

The first month WILL be hard, I had intense mood swings and nausea, but by month 3 I promise you it will settle down. Personally, I wanted to switch to yasmin due to the fact the cramps and the bad mood coming on/off after a break etc were too intense for me. No weight gain, only loss. My sex drive has not been affected whatsoever. There is a lot of fear-mongering surrounding the pill, but I think some of it comes from placebo, so don't over worry yourself.


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Rigevidon  

My completely lost my sex drive and was always upset and in a really bad mood.I was on this pill consistently for 1 year and about 6 months and I had to stop for awhile and when I went back on it for 1 month and the side effects were horrible my skin was breaking out I was constantly bloated I started having 2 /3 periods A MONTH iam currently trying to change the pill iam on but iam nervous in it’s worse .


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Cap or diaphragm with other contraceptives

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