Female condom vs Combined pill

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.

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.

I only stopped this method because I started getting migraines with aura, if this didnt happen I would've happily continued taking this method of birth control. when I did have breaks from it the 'periods' were light and minimal cramping, which was much better than what I had before. If I chose to have no breaks I had no periods or bleeding at all. there was a decrease in my libido which only really affected my initiation, as I wouldn't initiate sex myself but would still engage in it happily if my boyfriend initiated. however this was something we both noticed, I also stopped being as horny as I used to be so, which I didn't massively mind but it was definitely a change. this method did make me notice my migraine a lot more which is what led me to changing it however I did have these migraines previously. I did experience weight gain however I dont have the best diet so could be completely unrelated.

I was having very irregular, heavy, long periods to the point I became aneamic. This really helped bring it under control, it was great at first. With time I noticed I didn’t feel like myself, I couldn’t experience happiness like normal, I had put on weight, I was getting gut issues like reflux and sensitivity, my hair had thinned, my libido was gone and I was dry even when aroused. I stopped the pill and all these issues fixed themselves after about 6 months but now my periods are irregular again.

Switched from Yasmin to Qlaira safe to say i’m going back to Yasmin. I have been on Qlaira for about a month, it was fine up until i realised near the end of the pack I began feeling extremely “crazy” and depressed, my emotions were too much and extreme like an emotional rollercoaster, I also noticed so much of my hair shedding, it made my hair thin, avoid if you don’t want to risk your hair falling out and if you want to keep your sanity.

No major side effects that I can think of. Its the only pill that did not make me feel irritated for the whole 28 days after having my two babies.

I absolutely love this pill! It’s honestly the best one I’ve ever been on. I experienced very mild, temporary changes at the start which passed quickly - nothing troublesome at all. And best of all my moods haven’t changed like they have on previous combined pills I’ve tried, which is life changing. My withdrawal bleeds are regular and predictable which is a bonus. Overall, my experience has been really positive :)

Painful sex painful vagina, pain when peeing, constipation, no sex drive, low mood, achey legs, insomnia, generally felt rubbish

After having not been on any birth control for two years, I went to my GP to get a prescription for a new bc. I had previously been on Yasmin for 9 years but due to getting recurrent minor thrush, I was wondering if a different pill could avoid that side effect. They prescribed me Rigedevon and my god, I can’t believe how awful it was. My skin that very rarely breaks out became covered in acne, my mood went through the floor and I felt miserable about everything. My GP had suggested me to stick the pill out for two months but I never had any side effects even close to being this bad on Yasmin, I’ve stopped it after one month. NEVER AGAIN