Copper coil (IUD) vs Cap or diaphragm

I wanted to get a contraception that was hormone free as I’d been on the implant since I was 18 and by the end of it my mental health had definitely taken a toll (my anxiety was unpredictable and awful!), as well as experiencing regular spotting. I went for the copper coil and the experience was pretty straight forward - I didn’t take painkillers beforehand because it was 9am (would not recommend getting the coil fitted at this time haha) but the lady gave me a numbing cream of some sort without me even asking which I appreciated. The pain was pretty bad but in an achey way - when she inserted it I could feel my uterus cramp up. I could barely walk home because it felt like the worst period cramp in the world and I got home and took some painkillers and cried it out for a few hours. I wouldn’t say this deterred me though and honestly I would recommend what the GP told me which is a mix of ibuprofen and paracetamol the day you’re getting it inserted. After this day, it was fine and an amazing decision. My hormones go up and down when they’re supposed to and I follow my cycle pretty accurately which is fun for a change! My periods are heavy on one day out of four or five that I’m bleeding, but nothing I can’t handle!

As I was reading these reviews before getting mine inserted I thought I’d give back by sharing my own experience also. I am writing this while very fresh in mind and I have only had it for a few days, so I cannot comment on long term effect yet. As I was mentally preparing to have it inserted, I was quite scared due to the many comments on how painful it would be to have inserted. What was not clear to me was the difference in terms of whether you have previously given birth or not. I could truely barely feel it at all and had no pain relief. I have given birth 2 times, and as late as 9 weeks ago. Wanted to share this as my physician also informed me that (here, Denmark) we only give pain relief to those who have not yet given birth. Other than that I experienced a little bit of slight bleeding for 1,5 days. Another thing worth commenting on is that you can feel the copper strings after insertion, so you can self-check that it is sitting right and in place. Hope my experiences also gives some comfort to someone else 😊

I had my copper coil for the full 10 years. I had always had slightly heavier periods before my coil however after having it fitted I suffered for years with extremely heavy periods that were painful and I would leak every time. They say it doesn’t make you gain weight however I gained 5 stone whilst on it. It came time to remove it and I was going to just have another fitted however the doctor couldn’t get it out i was bleeding everywhere and in intense pain. Was sent for emergency antibiotics for PID went through a week of feeling awful on strong antibiotics just for all tests to come back negative. Spoke to dr she thinks the coil was causing these issues. Had it removed eventually (thank god!) decided against having another one! When the dr took it out, my coil that was supposed to still have a few weeks left had 0 copper left of the coil! So was completely ineffective at this point! Terrible experience!

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.

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.

I used the caya cap. It has been a game changer after previously taking the pill. I feel in control, no need to remember to take a pill, just put it in when needed. Better than condoms as it is women based and not detectable. Effect of not taking hormonal contraceptives has been amazing. All the side effects that I had ( migraines, reduced sex drive, dryness, breast tenderness, strong period pains, breakthrough bleeding and emotionalness) all gone. I wish someone had told me about it before!

Having experienced terrible physical and mental health side effects from both types of contraceptive pill (Combined and POP), and permanent pain and repeated UTIs with the copper coil, I hoped that Caya diaphragm would be a suitable non-hormonal method to try. Unfortunately, I found insertion very tricky - it seems I have a case of "deep vagina, small fingers", as I could never tell whether I'd pushed the diaphragm up far enough to cover my cervix, and sex was always a bit uncomfortable. I'm naturally prone to cystitis and thrush, and getting both while using the diaphragm also put me off using it long term. However, on the plus side - I didn't get pregnant (though I was still breastfeeding a lot, and my periods hadn't yet returned postpartum), and I did manage to avoid the hormonal depression, skin changes and weight gain/loss that I've experienced in the past with pills.

All in all it was acceptable

Fiddly and a faff. Didn’t bother a couple of times and ended up pregnant. He’s nearly 20 now and I’m still married to his father so not all bad :) Tried the copper coil for a bit after but it gave me very heavy periods and stomach cramps which had never been a problem before. Switched to the mirena coil and now on my third - no periods for 15 years and no menopausal symptoms despite being 52. What’s not to like?

I was only using it shortly, as I wanted to avoid hormones. It was not bad, but the need of using a spermicide as well was the reason why I stopped, I had vaginal discharge caused by the spermicide.

A bit fiddly until I got used to it.

An oldie here! I was first fitted with a Cap (can't recall the brand) when I was 27. I had been married for just over six months but, more importantly, had been on the Pill for more than 10 years and was keen to use a contraceptive method that was ultra-reliable and guaranteed to have no side-effects, either short or long term. The Brook Advisory Clinic in Tottenham Court Road fitted my first Cap, I'd been going there since I was a schoolgirl and stayed with them because it was clear they were far more expert in contraceptive medicine than my GP - and I suspect that is still the case. Before deciding to use a Cap all available methods were talked through with me by a nurse, specially trained by Brook and, frankly, with better knowledge that our family GP (who I knew well as a family friend) or any other doctor I knew. Before coming off the Pill I was taught with a practice Cap how to coat it with spermicide gel and how to insert correctly. I was sent out to walk around the area for 20 minutes, ostensibly to see if I had inserted it correctly but in reality I suspect this was more of a confidence building exercise to reassure me that it wasn't rocket science and that the Cap would remain in place until it was removed*. I was encouraged to start using my Cap while I was tailing off the last month of Pills so that when the time came I would be confident in using it "for real". Once I was dependent on a Cap I found it to be a quick and easy method. No need to insert hours before you think you may need it: carry in your handbag and simply insert when you go to the loo (if out for a date) or last thing at night before you go to bed. One huge plus is that if your period starts while you're out-and-about and you have your Cap in there are no embarrassing leaks and no stained underwear - the Cap catches it all! I used a Cap for 10 years, only stopping when I decided the time was right to have children. I had no side effects of any kind and no failures. As a child of 1960s and have grown up with the expectation of always having aan active and lively (and varied!) sex-life. The Cap proved more than equal to the task. So long as you use it correctly, this is the one sure-fire female-led method with no side effects and plenty of pluses. One very important point: DON'T expect your family GP, or the practice nurse, to be very enthusiastic about fitting you with a Cap. It is still the case that contraceptive medicine is barely touched on in standard UK medical training for doctors, and I'm told it doesn't happen for nurses either. In any case, I'd strongly advise any woman seeking proper, accurate and informed contraceptive advice to go, at least for the first year, to a specialist clinic such as those run by Marie Stopes or the Brook. * I'm concerned by at the comment by another reviewer that her Cap can slide around in her vagina: if this is the case either it doesn't fit properly or she isn't using it correctly; whichever, if it isn't securely in place over her cervix then it cannot work properly.

As someone who has struggled with more mainstream contraception, this was a miracle. Zero side effects and non-invasive! You're able to insert it up to two hours before sex so it doesn't have the moodkiller effect of a condom, and neither partner can feel it once it's in, unless you're searching for it with a finger. Inserting and removing it takes a little getting used to, but the initial learning curve is very much worth it. (And any Mooncup users will find it easy enough.) Note you will need to be fitted by a nurse/ health practitioner to ensure its effectiveness. This can be tricky to find unless you live in a larger city/ you have a very thorough doctor, but it was worth persisting for me.