Male condom vs Combined pill

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Male condom

Add your male condom review

Combined pill

£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

Male condoms are thin latex or polyurethane sheaths that are worn on the penis during sexual intercourse.

Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

72% no impact on mood

87% no change

76% no impact

97% no impact

85% no impact on skin

Cycle return

50% in 1 month

31% somewhat negative

47% lighter periods

46% lost sex drive

48% no impact

43% improved skin

Cycle return

36% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

Protects against STIs

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

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Try it now

£From £0.16/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Male condom reviews

67 reviews

Male condom  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th May 25

Hanx condom  

this is a test

Read more

Somewhat positive mood

3 more effects

1 helpful

0 comments

Male condom  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4th Nov 24

Skyn condom  

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

Male condom  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  15th May 24

Skyn condom  

I was recommended dretine and I've not looked back.


Very positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Male condom  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th May 25

Hanx condom  

this is a test


Somewhat positive mood

3 more effects

1 helpful

0 comments

Male condom  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4th Nov 24

Skyn condom  

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

Male condom  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  15th May 24

Skyn condom  

I was recommended dretine and I've not looked back.


Very positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2764 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Ovranette pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Yaz pill 🇺🇸  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Mercilon pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Ovranette pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Yaz pill 🇺🇸  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Mercilon pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4 days ago

Drovelis pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Drovelis pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
40 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Yasmin pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Rigevidon  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Yasmin pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Marvelon pill  

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

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Male condom with other contraceptives

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