Male condom vs Combined pill
Need help choosing? Speak to a doctor
Add your male condom review
£From £0.16/day
Overview
Rated 4.1
66 reviews
During or before sex
Frequency
82% - 98%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2562 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Male condom ingredients
Combined pill ingredients
Main hormones in Combined pill
progestogen
oestrogen
What Lowdown reviewers say
Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with
Protects against STIs
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
Try it now
Add your male condom review
Try it now
£From £0.16/day
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Male condom reviews
66 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 4th Nov 24
me and my partner have always had problems with using condoms from durex, but now trying skyns condoms, i will never go back. They don’t have that weird smell and me nor my partner could even feel as if it was there! 100% recommend
Very positive mood
2 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 4th Nov 24
me and my partner have always had problems with using condoms from durex, but now trying skyns condoms, i will never go back. They don’t have that weird smell and me nor my partner could even feel as if it was there! 100% recommend
Very positive mood
2 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2562 reviews
Used for 3 - 6 mo
16 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
while it's generally alright while I'm on it, the periods are terrible. way more painful than normal and extremely heavy. I've gotta give it credit for the skin though- alot clearer than before
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
Please consider the effects AFTER you stop taking Yaz or Eloine (same pill different brand). I never had acne or even spots my whole life and 4 months after stopping Yaz I got post-pill acne. My whole face is red and scarred and there isn’t a part of it that isn’t swollen and bumpy with cystic acne. If I could show you photos you would immediately think twice about trying an anti-androgen contraceptive like Yaz/eloine. I have tried everything with my derm to cure the acne but I wish I had known before taking yaz that this might happen when I stopped. I’m honestly devastated. It’s now been two years since I stopped yaz..
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
Has been really helpful for my moods as i would get bad pms, i feel a lot more stable through the months. i gained a lot of weight at one point but then lost it. my boobs consistently got bigger, at certain times in the month they are very very tender. i had lost my sex drive for a few months when i first started but it then came back, but i was really not eager for anything for ages. It’s helped my back and chest acne, and my face is better but has flare ups. I get a period every 3 months but it lasts like 14 days but not that heavy.
Somewhat positive mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
16 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
while it's generally alright while I'm on it, the periods are terrible. way more painful than normal and extremely heavy. I've gotta give it credit for the skin though- alot clearer than before
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
Please consider the effects AFTER you stop taking Yaz or Eloine (same pill different brand). I never had acne or even spots my whole life and 4 months after stopping Yaz I got post-pill acne. My whole face is red and scarred and there isn’t a part of it that isn’t swollen and bumpy with cystic acne. If I could show you photos you would immediately think twice about trying an anti-androgen contraceptive like Yaz/eloine. I have tried everything with my derm to cure the acne but I wish I had known before taking yaz that this might happen when I stopped. I’m honestly devastated. It’s now been two years since I stopped yaz..
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
Has been really helpful for my moods as i would get bad pms, i feel a lot more stable through the months. i gained a lot of weight at one point but then lost it. my boobs consistently got bigger, at certain times in the month they are very very tender. i had lost my sex drive for a few months when i first started but it then came back, but i was really not eager for anything for ages. It’s helped my back and chest acne, and my face is better but has flare ups. I get a period every 3 months but it lasts like 14 days but not that heavy.
Somewhat positive mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 5 days ago
I have been on 3 different pills 10 years ago of which the last one was a pill prescribed for acne, before I decided to switch to a non-hormonal IUD, which resulted into heavy-flow periods that looked like someone had stabbed me everytime I got my period. I never had a heavy flow period but the copper IUD definitely increased this. After 2 years, I switched to the hormonal IUD Mirena and no complaints except that my hormonal acne is still present. I actually lost weight and no more periods. I went to my Gyno to ask for a solution against my acne and she prescribed the Yasmin pill. I took it and stopped after 9 days because I got super lethargic, emotional and cried almost every day, I started getting cystic acne even though I never had any cystic acne before, but a few small pimples on my jawline & chin. My breast were tender and in pain, I felt nauseous and I got 4 headaches in 9 days. Generally I don't get 5 headaches, maybe a maximum of 3-5 per year and that's it and my breasts are tender & in pain only when I am on my period. Needless to say that, I was not willing to go through the 3-month period with these symptoms just to see if my acne can disappear. I feel like there is no miracle solution and that's the most difficult to accept. My dermatologist prescribed spironolactone for my acne, which apparently has similar effects than the pill in terms of acne, without all the side effects.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 5 days ago
I started taking Dianette as my first ever contraception pill. It is a combined pill which gives me migraines for a period of time. I was told to stop using it immediately as it put me at an increased risk of having blood clots and stroke. Now I am left not knowing what to do. Overall it did not give me any other side effect and I see a big difference on my skin. It is just me having a reaction to estrogen-related pills.
Improved skin
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
Worked really great for many years. Still had the ocassionally leg cramp, and my breast started to be really tender. After some years I got panic attacks and anxiety. Quit the pill in june 2023, still strugeling with panic and anxiety at times
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
It went smoothly in the start. No side effects other than weight gain. Slowly the mood startet to be affected. I startet to swear more and react more angrily towards situations and people around me. Felt almost like I was a child and could not contain myself. My husband told me I had to get of because I was horrible to live with. The anger subsided when I stopped
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I essentially started crying almost every day and couldn't fully function like normal because of how low my mood was. I took it for bad period cramps and it definitely helped with this but had to get off it because of the effect on my mood
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I had a heavy painfull n long period after usage so i stoped it after 8 days but im still bleeding with pain after 2 weeks
Very negative mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I’ve tried 10+ pills all with various side effects and haven’t found one I’ve been happy with. I was on the Evra patch until recently but found that it had affected my anxiety a lot so i stopped using it. I started on Norimin as I’ve tended to tolerate higher dose pills better historically. I’m not thrilled with having to take the pill everyday as I’m very forgetful but it’s been the best one yet. No affect on anxiety yet, my skin has broken out a bit around my chin but nothing too bad. I have definitely gained weight as my appetite has significantly increased and my boobs are a lot bigger and more tender. Best of all, I’m able to skip periods as i have debilitating painful periods. With Norimin, I take it back to back for about 4 months then have a week break. I can have very light spotting about the 2.5 month mark but i don’t mind it at all and it clears up within a week. I’m only using this pill as a stop gap while I decide between the Nuva Ring or the Mirena coil but i’m happy with it for now!
Worse skin
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments

Women's health, reviewed.
Get the best women’s health info in your inbox
You are signing up to receive The Lowdown's latest findings and news in women's health. Your data will be used in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie policy
Slide into our DMs
Built by doctors and experts
Our tools are made by medical professionals for your peace of mind
Our website uses affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you click on them