Fertility awareness methods (FAM) vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

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Fertility awareness methods (FAM)

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Progestogen-only / Mini pill

£From £0.19/day

Overview

Rated 4.4

141 reviews

Daily

Frequency

92% - 98%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.7

1188 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Fertility awareness methods (FAM) ingredients

Fertility awareness methods is an umbrella term for a method of contraception that works by being able to identify when in the menstrual cycle you are fertile through a range of factors.

Progestogen-only / Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Progestogen-only / Mini pill

progestogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

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

Period pain

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£From £0.19/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Fertility awareness methods (FAM) reviews

141 reviews

Used for 6 - 12 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  18th Sep 23

  •  Still using

Literally no side effects, no fake hormones affecting my body or mental health. Use symptothermal - 11 months in and find temping and checking cervical mucus easy and not at all laborious. We use condoms during fertile window (for me that’s usually about 9 days) and unprotected the rest of the time. No scares and I feel confident and secure with this method. I’ll never go back to hormonal birth control!

Read more

Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

2 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  21st Aug 23

  •  Stopped using

Natural cycles seemed promising when I first came across it in 2017 and read the reviews. I got the NC app along with the most expensive (hence hopefully most accurate) thermometer I could find to enter my readings. My partner and I decided to try it in place of condoms. I entered my thermometer and period readings religiously and only ever had unprotected sex on the ‘green: not fertile’ days when it says it’s safe to have sex. The next month I was pregnant. We were devastated. To add insult to injury, Natural cycles deleted my reviews about their product, offered ZERO help or acknowledgment of my situation and rather suspiciously my iTunes review of their app (tried from 2 separate accounts) was never published, despite my trying several times. Which is odd as I hadn’t said anything untoward, I’d simply stated my experience of using it and getting pregnant.


Top side effects not reported

7 helpful

1 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  8th Aug 23

  •  Still using

After feeling like I’d tried every hormonal contraception and not getting on with anything, Natural Cycles was such a breath of fresh air. I was nervous at first as it feels like there is more risk of pregnancy, but after taking the time to research I felt confident in this method. You have to be strict with yourself and use protection/ abstain on red days but it’s worth it. I feel so much more like myself without using hormones and I have also learnt a lot about my body. Highly recommend if you’re willing to spend some time getting used to the app, learning to take your temp correctly and being responsible throughout your cycle.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

2 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  18th Sep 23

  •  Still using

Literally no side effects, no fake hormones affecting my body or mental health. Use symptothermal - 11 months in and find temping and checking cervical mucus easy and not at all laborious. We use condoms during fertile window (for me that’s usually about 9 days) and unprotected the rest of the time. No scares and I feel confident and secure with this method. I’ll never go back to hormonal birth control!


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

2 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  21st Aug 23

  •  Stopped using

Natural cycles seemed promising when I first came across it in 2017 and read the reviews. I got the NC app along with the most expensive (hence hopefully most accurate) thermometer I could find to enter my readings. My partner and I decided to try it in place of condoms. I entered my thermometer and period readings religiously and only ever had unprotected sex on the ‘green: not fertile’ days when it says it’s safe to have sex. The next month I was pregnant. We were devastated. To add insult to injury, Natural cycles deleted my reviews about their product, offered ZERO help or acknowledgment of my situation and rather suspiciously my iTunes review of their app (tried from 2 separate accounts) was never published, despite my trying several times. Which is odd as I hadn’t said anything untoward, I’d simply stated my experience of using it and getting pregnant.


Top side effects not reported

7 helpful

1 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  8th Aug 23

  •  Still using

After feeling like I’d tried every hormonal contraception and not getting on with anything, Natural Cycles was such a breath of fresh air. I was nervous at first as it feels like there is more risk of pregnancy, but after taking the time to research I felt confident in this method. You have to be strict with yourself and use protection/ abstain on red days but it’s worth it. I feel so much more like myself without using hormones and I have also learnt a lot about my body. Highly recommend if you’re willing to spend some time getting used to the app, learning to take your temp correctly and being responsible throughout your cycle.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

2 comments


Progestogen-only / Mini pill reviews

1188 reviews

Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

  •  Stopped using

First contraceptive pill I have tried in years. It made me have really bad thoughts and made me feel really depressed so had to come off it. If you live with mental health symptoms, please be weary of this potential side effect.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was worried about side effects going on to Hana but had zero side effects apart from breast tenderness for the the first two weeks, and a regular period (although slightly lighter and shorter than normal) in week 3. I started seeing some spotting in week 5, I'm in week 7 now and on day 16 of continuous bleeding. It's reasonably light but inconvenient. No PMS symptoms other than the breast tenderness, which started in week 1/2 and is the same as the breast tenderness I got with PMS. I'm going to stick with it for now but if the breast tenderness and continuous bleeding hasn't stopped after 3 months I may give up on it as it's pretty inconvenient.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was worried about side effects going on to Hana but had zero side effects apart from breast tenderness for the the first two weeks, and a regular period (although slightly lighter and shorter than normal) in week 3. I started seeing some spotting in week 5, I'm in week 7 now and on day 16 of continuous bleeding. It's reasonably light but inconvenient. No PMS symptoms other than the breast tenderness, which started in week 1/2 and is the same as the breast tenderness I got with PMS. I'm going to stick with it for now but if the breast tenderness and continuous bleeding hasn't stopped after 3 months I may give up on it as it's pretty inconvenient.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

  •  Stopped using

First contraceptive pill I have tried in years. It made me have really bad thoughts and made me feel really depressed so had to come off it. If you live with mental health symptoms, please be weary of this potential side effect.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was worried about side effects going on to Hana but had zero side effects apart from breast tenderness for the the first two weeks, and a regular period (although slightly lighter and shorter than normal) in week 3. I started seeing some spotting in week 5, I'm in week 7 now and on day 16 of continuous bleeding. It's reasonably light but inconvenient. No PMS symptoms other than the breast tenderness, which started in week 1/2 and is the same as the breast tenderness I got with PMS. I'm going to stick with it for now but if the breast tenderness and continuous bleeding hasn't stopped after 3 months I may give up on it as it's pretty inconvenient.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was worried about side effects going on to Hana but had zero side effects apart from breast tenderness for the the first two weeks, and a regular period (although slightly lighter and shorter than normal) in week 3. I started seeing some spotting in week 5, I'm in week 7 now and on day 16 of continuous bleeding. It's reasonably light but inconvenient. No PMS symptoms other than the breast tenderness, which started in week 1/2 and is the same as the breast tenderness I got with PMS. I'm going to stick with it for now but if the breast tenderness and continuous bleeding hasn't stopped after 3 months I may give up on it as it's pretty inconvenient.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I have been put on the progestogen-only pill recently after 10 years on the combined pill, because none of my doctors ever bothered asking if I suffer from migraines before :) I have been on it for just over a month and I have not enjoyed it. I feel really, really tired (which is a side effect that is listed as 'uncommon' on the leaflet), not feeling like myself at all and have had some digestive problems with ups and downs of constipation/diarrhoea which I did not suffer from before going on this pill. I also found this pill more of a faff compared to the combined pill, as you have to take it every day at the same time. I normally take it at 9AM but that means that if I am going anywhere early in the morning, I have to take the packet with me. Although mine has a 12-hour window in which it can be taken and it still provides cover, I prefer to stick to the same time for safety. I also do not enjoy the fact that there is no 'guaranteed' bleeding to know that I am not pregnant, and that bleeding can happen at any point, randomly. That does not work with my lifestyle and it made me truly miss my previous combined pill which didn't need too much adjusting to my life. I have not had other major side effects (but then again, I have been on a pill for 10 years), but I have decided that this doesn't suit my lifestyle and I will stop taking it soon. I have invested in a Ladycomp device (99.3% accuracy, same as the pill but without hormones!) and once I finish this packet of pills I will be stopping all hormonal contraception. It's a shame that, for someone who definitely does not want a pregnancy, there aren't many options available but I am glad I found Ladycomp which has the same accuracy as the pill without taking hormones. I hope the Lowdown will start talking about it on their platform soon!! :)


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Still using

My sex drive is like nothing it’s gone. More spots than before. My cycle length is around 50 days and my period is lasting for 9.


Top side effects not reported

2 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
51 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Still using

I was on Cerelle for 6 mths which was not working out for me as I had prolonged, frequent irregular periods on it. The doctor suggested changing to Norgeston and it has been great. I have been on it now for 5 months and my periods, although not regular (actually there has been a slightly longer gap between periods, which is nice) have been back to normal length of around 6 days long. In fact better than normal as I’d been getting very heavy periods possibly due to me being perimenopausal. I’ve got lighter periods now that don’t come as often with no bad side effects. Also, a good side effect is that I don’t get feelings of depresssion any more before my period like I used to when not on the pill. I did have a blip recently with bleeding - but it’s because I missed a pill and I bled for 20 days, so I asked my doctor and they told me to take 2 pills a day until the bleeding had stopped for 7 days and this has worked. I recommend this pill!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Stopped using

The POP is quite new to me having been on the Depo for a long time. I was on Lovima to begin with but then the pharmacy gave me this one on my next prescription to begin with things were as normal there didn’t seem much off a change until I started experiencing severe anxiety like I never have before. My heart was racing for no reason and I was in a constant anxious state. I felt like I was going crazy. I called the pharmacy as I was needing a new prescription but asked if I could try a different brand as this one was not agreeing with me and the pharmacist says it sounds more off a pill problem then a you problem which made me feel a lot better as I say I felt I was going crazy. I am now on a different brand off POP so swing how this goes.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

1 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Still using

I had to switch from my combined pill due to risk of breast cancer and stroke. I loved my previous pill but this one I've had such negative experiences, so anxious and depressed and angry, as well as random bleeding and making my work and home life difficult to cope with. I will not be taking this pill beyond the 3 months prescribed


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  31st Oct 23

  •  Still using

kept periods at a normal level, just sometimes more frequently. extremely helped cramps, as i suffered very badly with them before. increased sex drive, and has not had much of an effect on my mood. i do have acne but i had acne before, and i can sometimes get rid of it.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  28th Oct 23

  •  Stopped using

Tried this after not wanting to be on the implant anymore without realising it's the same hormone! Anyways, my period got lighter but they lasted 10 days as opposed to 5 days. I gained a good few kilos in weight. Also started having period-like cramps even without being on my period, which was odd. I have recent stopped and will be trying Noriday.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

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