Male condom vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

Need help choosing? Speak to a doctor
Male condom

Add your male condom review

Progestogen-only / Mini pill

£From £0.22/day

Overview

Rated 4.1

67 reviews

During or before sex

Frequency

82% - 98%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.7

1473 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

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.

Progestogen-only / Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Progestogen-only / Mini pill

progestogen

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

32% somewhat negative

43% stopped periods

49% lost sex drive

44% no impact

45% no impact on skin

Cycle return

39% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

Protects against STIs

Period pain

Try it now

Add your male condom review

Try it now

£From £0.22/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


Progestogen-only / Mini pill reviews

1473 reviews

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Slynd pill  

I have suspected endometriosis and this has been life-changing for me because it's completely stopped my periods! However, it's also given me spotting after sex and bouts of stubborn thrush. The thrush almost made me quit, but the benefits (no periods or crippling cramps) outweigh the cons. I'm also happy that it hasn't affected my mood at all because previous pills made me extremely depressed.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Desogestrel pill  

I was so scared to go on this pill because of the mounds of negative stuff on it online as well as my own medical anxiety but it’s the best thing I ever did. Went on it at 17 due to heavy painful long periods and for the first like 6 months? I spotted every day. Which no isn’t ideal but it wasn’t painful. After those 6 months I have not bled or had any period since. My general anxiety has decreased so much after being on the pill and my overall mood. No side effects except maybe a small weight gain. Don’t let bad reviews put you off, this pill works for so many people, it changed me and my friends life for the better


Gained weight

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

Zelleta pill  

I'm not really sure how I feel about this pill. I've been on the combined pill for the last four years, and had to switch suddenly because one of my doctors said that I cannot take it anymore due to chronic migraines (without aura). One of the main reasons I started birth control was for the awful hormonal acne I've had since the age of 9. I've spent almost my entire life attempting to get clear skin, and managed to do so while I was within a few months of taking the combined pill. Now, I've had some of the worst breakouts ever since I was first going through puberty mainly around the cheek and jaw. Deep, blind pimples that stay there for days without coming to a head, and, when they do come to a head they take ages to go away. Even smaller pimples take around a week, maybe two, to heal fully. They'll scar over and stay there indefinitely. I am extremely diligent with my skincare, I stick to the same rotation of products and generally take good care of myself, so this has completely ruined my confidence. Not to mention the horror of viewing my face underneath dim lighting to see all the closed comedones threatening to crawl out of my skin. I say I'm not sure about this pill because the amount of pimples I get are around 3-4 at once, but as aforementioned, they take absolutely forever to heal which has never happened to me before. I have combination skin, so already the pores around my T-zone are slightly larger than most people's due to this and genetic factors, but some days I physically cannot stand to look at them in the mirror. Ever since starting this pill I swear I've had pores that literally look like dents in the size of my nose and it is HORRIFYING. It is so devastating to spend so much time and effort working on skincare for it to not matter because of hormones. I can only pray that as time goes on my body gets used to the pill and my skin doesn't look like this anymore. Another thing is that I definitely feel I'm sweating a lot more, having to re-apply deodorant much more frequently than before.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Slynd pill  

I have suspected endometriosis and this has been life-changing for me because it's completely stopped my periods! However, it's also given me spotting after sex and bouts of stubborn thrush. The thrush almost made me quit, but the benefits (no periods or crippling cramps) outweigh the cons. I'm also happy that it hasn't affected my mood at all because previous pills made me extremely depressed.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Desogestrel pill  

I was so scared to go on this pill because of the mounds of negative stuff on it online as well as my own medical anxiety but it’s the best thing I ever did. Went on it at 17 due to heavy painful long periods and for the first like 6 months? I spotted every day. Which no isn’t ideal but it wasn’t painful. After those 6 months I have not bled or had any period since. My general anxiety has decreased so much after being on the pill and my overall mood. No side effects except maybe a small weight gain. Don’t let bad reviews put you off, this pill works for so many people, it changed me and my friends life for the better


Gained weight

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

Zelleta pill  

I'm not really sure how I feel about this pill. I've been on the combined pill for the last four years, and had to switch suddenly because one of my doctors said that I cannot take it anymore due to chronic migraines (without aura). One of the main reasons I started birth control was for the awful hormonal acne I've had since the age of 9. I've spent almost my entire life attempting to get clear skin, and managed to do so while I was within a few months of taking the combined pill. Now, I've had some of the worst breakouts ever since I was first going through puberty mainly around the cheek and jaw. Deep, blind pimples that stay there for days without coming to a head, and, when they do come to a head they take ages to go away. Even smaller pimples take around a week, maybe two, to heal fully. They'll scar over and stay there indefinitely. I am extremely diligent with my skincare, I stick to the same rotation of products and generally take good care of myself, so this has completely ruined my confidence. Not to mention the horror of viewing my face underneath dim lighting to see all the closed comedones threatening to crawl out of my skin. I say I'm not sure about this pill because the amount of pimples I get are around 3-4 at once, but as aforementioned, they take absolutely forever to heal which has never happened to me before. I have combination skin, so already the pores around my T-zone are slightly larger than most people's due to this and genetic factors, but some days I physically cannot stand to look at them in the mirror. Ever since starting this pill I swear I've had pores that literally look like dents in the size of my nose and it is HORRIFYING. It is so devastating to spend so much time and effort working on skincare for it to not matter because of hormones. I can only pray that as time goes on my body gets used to the pill and my skin doesn't look like this anymore. Another thing is that I definitely feel I'm sweating a lot more, having to re-apply deodorant much more frequently than before.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
36 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Slynd pill  

I have endometriosis and wanted something that would stop my period and ovulation, slynd did this but it also gave me such low blood pressure I was having pins and needles in my extremities, I had crippling anxiety, felt like I was on the edge of a panic attack constantly, intense chest pain to the point I had a full ecg to be sure my heart was ok, I was constipated, I had no sex drive and couldn’t reach orgasm most of the time even alone, I also had irritation and dryness down there and overall it was just awful I wouldn’t wish this pill on anyone. If you have high blood pressure it might help but low is a bad move


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Cerazette pill  

I have PMDD and took this medication with hopes it would make reduce or alleviate my physical and mental symptoms. I started taking cerazette and noticed I was very tired, so switched from taking it in the morning and took it at night time. I continued to be really tired and would need to nap almost every day even though I typically sleep for 8 hours or more a night. I noticed my mood become low, I felt numb and my libido was really low. I wanted to stop the pill at 1 month but pushed through but at 2 months I decided to stop as the fatigue and my low mood were interfering with my quality of life.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

Desogestrel pill  

I wanted birth control to calm down or stop my painful periods. I was put on denestrogel as my gp wasn't comfordable putting me on oestrogen due to migranes. the first two weeks were great, then i started getting cramping but no bleeding. all that i saw was brown discharge for another week before i started bleeding. i didnt stop bleeding for the three months I was on it. completely ruined my sex drive as I was bleeding all the time and all of my underwear got ruined. I couldnt use a pad or tampon as the bleed wasn't heavy enough. it really started to affect my mood that i stopped taking it halfway through my third month on it because i was getting so distressed was really dissapointing as I saw so many good reviews on it and loved that it had a 12 hr forgetfulness window.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Slynd pill  

Gave Slynd a go as I struggled with headaches and migraines with Cerazette and Cerelle. Slynd has been good in terms of not increasing any headaches which has made a change, however have suffered with breakthrough bleeding constantly since beginning it 5 months ago. It always happens between day 7-day 12 of the pill, never on the placebo pills, which is rather irritating. During this time I am normally hormonal as well, as if leading to my period, so can be very irritable. All in all, an ok pill but just hasn't worked out for me.


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Norgeston pill  

Its regulated my periods, made them lighter and helps with PMDD I still ovulate most months on norgeston but thats normal apparently, Im not too worried about it, i have noticed my boobs have gone up a cup size or two but compared to desogestorel its been amazing, i had a period for 5 weeks on desogestorel then i was off for 1 and back on for 5 etc now im every 28 days like clockwork


Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Zelleta pill  

gradually feel more down and down and my periods never stop i can bleed for 30 days then have a 3 day break and it’s back


Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Noriday pill  

Gave me extreme depression. I was on this pill so long that I didn’t even realise it was the pill giving me the depression, when coming off it I felt a weight lift off my shoulder. My thinning hair went away and my mood improved so drastically. It did make my boobs bigger which was the only good side effect but I’d rather be happy. Would recommend cerazette as an alternative to anyone who has mood issues and frequent bleeding on noriday


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Male condom with other contraceptives

Order online

Order online now

Use our online prescription in under 5 mins

  • No GP appointment needed

  • Free standard delivery

Speak to a doctor

Not sure yet? Speak to a doctor

Schedule an appointment now

87% of women are happier with their contraceptive choice after speaking with one of The Lowdown's doctors

The Lowdown Footer

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

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