Vasectomy vs Combined pill

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Vasectomy

Add your vasectomy review

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 3.6

7 reviews

Permanent

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

Permanent

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2587 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Vasectomy ingredients

A vasectomy (male sterilisation) is a permanent surgical procedure to cut or seal the tubes that carry a man’s sperm. It prevents pregnancy by stopping sperm getting into a man’s semen which is then ejaculated during sexual intercourse.

Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

43% somewhat negative

86% no change

57% lost sex drive

100% no impact

100% no impact on skin

Cycle return

Not enough data to say

31% somewhat negative

47% lighter periods

46% lost sex drive

48% no impact

44% improved skin

Cycle return

36% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

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

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

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£From £0.16/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Vasectomy reviews

7 reviews

Vasectomy  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5th Jul 24

Vasectomy  

As a woman the vasectomy is the best contraception I feel we have ever had. I have no pain, weight gain, mood swings, plastic packaging or costs. I highly recommend.

Read more

Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Vasectomy  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5th Sep 20

Vasectomy  

Sept 1998. Had a vasectomy. Easy and quick. Done in the hospital operating room on a Friday morning. Went home And took it easy. Took it easy at work Monday no problems. By Wednesday started feeling pain in testicles. Called doctors office. Doctors gone on holiday. Anyway from this point the pain only gets worse and all the doctors have to say is that they have never seen anyone in such pain. Within the first six months I had met with a variety of doctors and tried a wide variety of drugs, therapies and nerve blocks. Nothing worked for more than a few hours (nerve blocks did!). I had the vasectomy reversed June 1999 at my own cost of $2000. It was about three months before i felt better from that. Sadly only my left testicle had resolved. The right side still had the same pain. I had a semen test done. First ever in my life. I had sperm count of 125 million / ml. Surgeon thought that was great but still pain persisted in my right testicle. Followup turned into another vas reversal but just for the right side. This one I didn’t have to pay for because it was for chronic pain. Sadly it didn’t help. Now it’s 2020! I have endured this for 22 years. I wish I had never done it. That’s my absolute last word.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Vasectomy  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Jun 20

Vasectomy  

Vasectomy has been a very effective contraceptive for me. It is good because it has allowed my hormones to follow a natural rhythm. Unfortunately I have experienced depression(and severe PMS) as I would like to have more children(but my partner does not). This has decreased my libido significantly and made me consider using hormonal contraception to level out my hormone levels.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Vasectomy  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5th Jul 24

Vasectomy  

As a woman the vasectomy is the best contraception I feel we have ever had. I have no pain, weight gain, mood swings, plastic packaging or costs. I highly recommend.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Vasectomy  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5th Sep 20

Vasectomy  

Sept 1998. Had a vasectomy. Easy and quick. Done in the hospital operating room on a Friday morning. Went home And took it easy. Took it easy at work Monday no problems. By Wednesday started feeling pain in testicles. Called doctors office. Doctors gone on holiday. Anyway from this point the pain only gets worse and all the doctors have to say is that they have never seen anyone in such pain. Within the first six months I had met with a variety of doctors and tried a wide variety of drugs, therapies and nerve blocks. Nothing worked for more than a few hours (nerve blocks did!). I had the vasectomy reversed June 1999 at my own cost of $2000. It was about three months before i felt better from that. Sadly only my left testicle had resolved. The right side still had the same pain. I had a semen test done. First ever in my life. I had sperm count of 125 million / ml. Surgeon thought that was great but still pain persisted in my right testicle. Followup turned into another vas reversal but just for the right side. This one I didn’t have to pay for because it was for chronic pain. Sadly it didn’t help. Now it’s 2020! I have endured this for 22 years. I wish I had never done it. That’s my absolute last word.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Vasectomy  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Jun 20

Vasectomy  

Vasectomy has been a very effective contraceptive for me. It is good because it has allowed my hormones to follow a natural rhythm. Unfortunately I have experienced depression(and severe PMS) as I would like to have more children(but my partner does not). This has decreased my libido significantly and made me consider using hormonal contraception to level out my hormone levels.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2587 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Mercilon pill  

Vagina is very dry and sex has become a chore as I also have a low sex drive now


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Brevinor pill  

This combined pill has been the best one for me that I have tried so far. It hasn’t impacted my mood (as far as I can tell) and I haven’t experienced many negative side effects.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

Marvelon pill  

Overall, Haven’t noticed any changes to mood, it’s definitely made me gain a little bit of weight. However, My period i had when coming off the pill was in one word…. Excruciating. I’ve never had bad period cramps but with this pill my period came out in massive blood clots and it was very very painful.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Mercilon pill  

Vagina is very dry and sex has become a chore as I also have a low sex drive now


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Brevinor pill  

This combined pill has been the best one for me that I have tried so far. It hasn’t impacted my mood (as far as I can tell) and I haven’t experienced many negative side effects.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

Marvelon pill  

Overall, Haven’t noticed any changes to mood, it’s definitely made me gain a little bit of weight. However, My period i had when coming off the pill was in one word…. Excruciating. I’ve never had bad period cramps but with this pill my period came out in massive blood clots and it was very very painful.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Microgynon 30 pill  

Gave me cystitis all the time and even after coming off I keep getting it after seeing a specialist they told me it’s due to the The pill, lowering my oestrogen


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

I thought i had gotten on well with Gedarel, didn’t have side effects really and took it continuously to not have periods which only about every 6mnths got beeak-through bleeding, the periods during a pill break were getting heavier each time though. only after coming off it and changing to the mini pill did I realise my sez drive was affected by it as it came back to my normal and my mood felt more stable generally also? The reason for switching was because I had one really bad migrane (and no history of it)


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Brevinor pill  

nknkn


Very positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Microgynon 30 ED pill  

I started this pill 4 months ago, and i’ve noticed that i’ve bruised a lot, especially on my arms knees legs etc. i had swapped birth controls> from the injection seyena press to the combined pill and the injection, i had no period for the 2 year period i was using, started the pill and have had 2 quite big heavy periods- having a clear out isn’t an issue but the pain i am in is a lot. either way this pill is great whilst using for 4 months+ :)


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Rigevidon  

I really didn't like this pill. It caused my mood to plummet, and I gained weight on it.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Femodette pill  

I was prescribed Femodette because I wanted a COC pill that would not cause my mood to worsen. It didn't have any impact on my mood, which is great, but the weight gain I experienced on this pill made me consider alternative methods of contraception.


Increased sex drive

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Ambelina pill  

my pharmacy moved me to this pill when my previous one was not available. I was hesitent at first but found it lightened my discharge which was always so heavy on my previous pill. I was forced to stop this pill due to unavailbilty but i am currently trying to get it back because after a month back on my old pill i am now seeing how much better this one was for me. I didnt notice the positive changes until i had to go back onto my old one. But if anything that is a good thing to me because it felt natural.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Vasectomy with other contraceptives

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