Combined pill vs Female condom

I felt it was very effective at preventing pregnancy because I lost almost all interest in sex and the few times we had sex, it was painful, I sometimes bled. I don’t know if the thrush was directly related or down to trying to sort the dryness with oestrogen cream and changing products. I didn’t have any other side effects but after 9 months I had to stop using this. I moved to a mini-pill and a month into using that my libido is improving as is the dryness - the last time we had sex it was almost pain free.

The first few months of this pill felt great, but at around 6 months I started getting breakthrough bleeding consistently (3/4 weeks a month). I don’t think it’s a good choice if you’ve been advised to skip the placebos/break as it feels like the withdrawal bleed is necessary. I also haven’t seen much improvement in cramps. My mood and anxiety have also gotten worse since taking this. It’s a shame that prednisone is used instead of another progesterone as this is known to have bad impacts on mood.

I was put on this pill by my GP to try and help with the PMDD I was experiencing on the second half of my cycle. I had previously been on Eloine for this which really helped but I can't have this any more due to adrenal insufficiency. Since starting Gedarel I feel like my mood is worse, I just feel flat all the time. I can't sleep, tired but wired. This definitely is not the right answer.

Same as the male condom, has no side effects and will protect from STIs and pregnancy! The only thing its a little fiddly to get on and if you don't react well to latex then not ideal!

These condoms prevent me from getting UTIs, I can't have sex without them! I think it's because the part of the condom that sticks out covers my urethra and prevents bacteria from spreading. They're a little hard to use at first, and some brands are better than others, but I highly recommend them to everyone.

Tried it a couple times with different partners. Mixed reactions. I practiced inserting prior to anything, so it was easy, especially after a couple of tries. Sex felt no different for me and one of the partners. One didn't like the appearance and the other the feel. One thing I love is that it doesn't have that nasty latex smell! You can also use any lube. Overall, I think it is a great option for many people, but (like everything) you should try it a few times for yourself. Also great if you run into situations where the guy is resisting wearing a condom himself.

Used it once - it came off inside me within 5 minutes and I didn't realise so ended up having completely unprotected sex and having to get a STI test.