Cap or diaphragm vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

I decided to invest in the Caya diaphragm since I was determined to find a non-hormonal method I could use that wouldn’t impact sex too much (I get irritation with condoms and the copper coil moved out of place pretty much immediately). I really wanted it to work but unfortunately it was way too uncomfortable during sex. It feels like there’s just way too much ‘stuff’ inside me. And I think it obstructs my natural wetness (I suspect that’s why some people mention a lot of discharge upon removal). My partner also said while he could definitely feel it, it wasn’t uncomfortable. I’d choose condoms over the diaphragm unfortunately. Hope this helps :)

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.

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.

My GP suggested I switch from Desogesterel to Noriday as I was consistently getting break through bleeding after many years of being period free. The first 6 months of taking Noriday were great, with a few days of very light spotting over many months. Then I started to get more regular, painful periods. I persisted with taking it, and after a few months of no period, it's been months of heavy, painful bleeds that last anywhere from 4 to 9 days at a time every 2-4 weeks. For the last few months I've been getting the type of period pain I haven't had since I was a teenager (I'm not in my mid-30s) - the kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night and stops you from sleeping. I'm coming off this pill today.

I had my first postpartum period without any birth control and it was a bit heavier than normal (pre-pregnancy comparison) but not too bad honestly, the cramps weren’t horrible either. Then my second period I had been on Slynd for about a month and it was HORRIBLE, I’m a medical nurse and I have an relatively high pain tolerance but I considered going to the hospital. The first night I was having multiple medium sized clots that my coworker said looked like it was uterine lining, heavy heavy bright red bleeding and horrendous cramps that made me want to vomit. Plus my uterus was contracting so much I think I went #2 like 5x that day alone. Day 2 was slightly better with slightly less horrible cramps but still relatively heavy bleeding and some small clots every hour or so. Now day 3 and I’m heavy bleeding still and now have some sharp lower abdomen pain especially when in the motion of going to sit down or stand up. I’m hoping this stops soon because this has been the worst period I think I’ve ever had and pre-pregnancy I thought I had some pretty bad ones. I don’t think I will be continuing this birth control

I’ve had nothing but cystic acne, heavy bleeding for 2+ weeks at a time, hair growth is still the same rate if not even worse.

I’m generally happy but I was looking for a contraceptive that did not reduce my sex drive and that mission was failed. I tried the coil for 5 years and found that at the end, as it wore off, I started to get my sex drive back and was hoping to keep it. I was recommended the mini pill as a good option by my GP but it still doesn’t work for me. No interest in sex at all.

I feel like the mini-pill has changed my life. I used to get so many painful spots on my chin, but now they are cleared up. I have noticed my boobs getting bigger and a bit more sore, and I don't if it is linked, but I am getting cystitis more, but honestly, the impact it has had on my moods has been positive. My periods are non-existence and I just feel like a whole different person (in a good way). I have looked at photos of me when I was off hormonal contraception and I just don't even recognise her. I kind of feel like the mini pill has balanced my hormones (even though the intention of using it was to not get pregnant)

Started to take them again and noticed that I've been having breast pain for weeks now, alongside this I'm much more tearful. Period cramps were somewhat unbearable.

I’ve tried pretty much every form of contraception within 15 years. Implant x3, injection, mini pills, copper coil. The hormonal ones gave me irregular periods and vaginal dryness and the copper coil gave me chronic BV. Since taking Slynd I’ve had none of this. Skin is fine, weight is fine, periods are regular, lighter, shorter. They do not align with the sugar pills but that’s fine. Initially they were a bit irregular but they settled down. Easy to use and remember due to the little packs and stickers they give you. Overall very happy, and can’t say I’ve noticed any side effects. I do already have some symptoms for other health concerns I’m looking into but it’s not made anything worse, and this was pre existing stuff anyway. Might not work for everyone but if you’ve had issues with other contraceptives like me and you don’t want to rely on condoms then I’d give it a go.

I was constantly bleeding and around the third month I started seeing a pattern emerging that essentially flipped my natural cycle: three weeks of bleeding, 4–5 days off, three weeks of bleeding, a couple of days off. It had a bad impact on my mental health, made me feel exhausted most of the time and killed my sex drive, ultimately leading to a breakup.

When I was on it I was really pleased with how it was going. I felt balanced due to no periods and lack of mood swings etc. It felt great to not have periods and have that interruption on my life each month. What I didn’t realise until after I came off it after many years of using this pill, the implant and another pill previously was the affect it had had on my arousal/libido, I had always put this down to anxiety, but I feel very confident in saying now that having a true cycle has made a huge difference to this. When on the pill (especially the mini pill) I felt broken as to why I didn’t ever think about sex, but that changed almost instantly when I stopped. I wish I had known how much this would have impacted this. I would use it again, but I would be cautious of this change.

I have suspected endometriosis and this has been life-changing for me because it's completely stopped my periods! However, it's also given me spotting after sex and bouts of stubborn thrush. The thrush almost made me quit, but the benefits (no periods or crippling cramps) outweigh the cons. I'm also happy that it hasn't affected my mood at all because previous pills made me extremely depressed.