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
67 reviews
During or before sex
Frequency
82% - 98%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2764 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
67 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th May 25
Somewhat positive mood
3 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
2 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th May 25
Somewhat positive mood
3 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
2 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2764 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I was extremely anxious. I would be extremely jittery and uncomfortable in my own body each day I took it. I was very emotional by the evenings and tired from being so anxious..
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I felt my best on Yaz. I had lots of energy, my mood was always good. But I got over 10 UTIs a year. I was on so many antibiotics. I couldn't get to the bottom of it. We looked at everything with my Dr. Only when I went to treat my reoccurring dry eyes it clicked. The week after I switched pills from Yaz, I havnt had a UTI since. I spent years suffering and countless antibiotics
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
I have PCOS and PMDD. It did help with mood swings and cleared up my face acne, however it made me put on weight quite a lot so I decided to stop it in the end as it was becoming really hard to move around
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I was extremely anxious. I would be extremely jittery and uncomfortable in my own body each day I took it. I was very emotional by the evenings and tired from being so anxious..
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I felt my best on Yaz. I had lots of energy, my mood was always good. But I got over 10 UTIs a year. I was on so many antibiotics. I couldn't get to the bottom of it. We looked at everything with my Dr. Only when I went to treat my reoccurring dry eyes it clicked. The week after I switched pills from Yaz, I havnt had a UTI since. I spent years suffering and countless antibiotics
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
I have PCOS and PMDD. It did help with mood swings and cleared up my face acne, however it made me put on weight quite a lot so I decided to stop it in the end as it was becoming really hard to move around
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 4 days ago
If you gave up looking for any birth control because of the side effects, give Drovelis your last chance. I could not believe that such a pill exists anymore, given that every other pill made my face go full baboon's behinds. I have to take some contraception because of endometriosis. I'm taking it continuously without withdrawal days to stop my period completely. My symptoms are non-existent and my ovarian cysts have even shrinked so much they're not visible on the ultrasound anymore. From time to time, spotting occurs, sometimes not stopping for weeks. In that case, it's time to take a withdrawal period and let the uterus clean itself. I do this 2-3 times a year. The period cramps are noticeable but manageable. The biggest downside I am struggling is often reocurrence of candidiasis which is extremely uncomfortable, but given the circumstances it's the best thing I could ask for. I'm trying to manage with probiotics and autovaccines but to no avail.
Very positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
Started on Gedarel due to having suffered with Pmdd for a long time , was fine at first mood was abit better , but then I noticed I felt numb and couldn’t feel any emotion , was irritable and angry all the time , also gained a lot of weight despite being very active , cramps got very bad during the withdrawal bleed and I feel like this has completely changed me as a person - would not recommend
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
I have switched to drovelis due to extremely low mood caused by previous combined pill (ethinylestradiol and gestodene pill). I was extremely depressed after 4/5 months of the previous pill and It felt like my mood was artifically altered so I quickly realised It's the pill which prompted me to changing the pill. Drovelis has been wonderful despite some intial issues with at times intense breakthrough bleeding around the 3 and 6 months marks. These days I do not experience any breakthrough bleeding or any issues. I very strictly adhere to the pill regimen and it works wonderfully for me. I forgot about my intense period cramps I have been dealing with ever since i was 16.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
40 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
This pill made me feel terrible. Severe weakness, lightheaded, buzzy inside, made me feel like I was having low blood sugar episodes on occasions where I thought I was going to faint pass out. Gave it a good three months and had to come off it. Felt so much better. It did start to clear up cystic acne though but I just wasn’t functioning well on it!
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Started taking this and within the first couple of days I started to get really dry which is something I’ve never experienced before especially just under my vagina it would get so dry my skin will have slight tears that will bleed and sting and I’m more itchy down there regularly and have had thrush symptoms twice after going 10 years without.
Worse skin
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
This pill was the first of three that I have used, and is without a doubt the worst. It made me cry about everything. The cleaners had moved my soap dish from one side of the sink to the other and I cried about it. My mood became so low that I distanced myself from my friends and started attending therapy. When I stopped taking the pill, my mood improved dramatically and I experienced far less anxiety. Was not a great time in my life. Thanks a lot Yasmin.
Very negative mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Overall this is a great pill that works like a dream for me. It has lessened my endo symptoms by making my periods lighter from what they were to something more manageable, and it's helped return my cycle to being more regular - it's almost perfect to the day depending on stresses during that particular month. I still bleed quite a lot, but it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It also mitigates the pains and cramps quite well - in the last 6 months I've only had to call in sick to work once due to my period pains being so bad. Whilst it doesn't always remove the pain completely, it eases it and I find that painkillers work more effectively when I'm taking marvelon.
Top side effects not reported
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
