Vaginal ring vs Combined pill
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£From £0.41/day
£From £0.16/day
Overview
Rated 3.6
55 reviews
Every 3 weeks
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2670 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Vaginal ring ingredients
Main hormones in Vaginal ring
progestogen
oestrogen
Combined pill ingredients
Main hormones in Combined pill
progestogen
oestrogen
What Lowdown reviewers say
Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
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£From £0.41/day
Try it now
£From £0.16/day
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Vaginal ring reviews
55 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I had a terrible reaction to this unfortunately, despite my optimism. Main symptoms were intense nausea that caused me to not eat for several days, insane anxiety with some panic attacks (especially as I slept) and some depressive thoughts. I took sick days from work believing it was the flu. I thought there is no way birth control could cause these side effects. After a call with my GP, we suspected it could be the ring. I tried to stick with it but on only day 14, awake at 5am due to recurrent panic attacks, I took it out. The next days were perfect. I ate all the food I could and was so grateful for a restful night's sleep. The difference in how I feel is night and day. I understand that this reaction is probably rare but this is what happened to me.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3rd Aug 25
I suffer with PMDD, making my periods a very awful time for me due to how depressed I feel. I was on the combined pill before, but found this was worsening my emotions and making me feel horrendous. The ring was an idea my GP suggested, thinking that because the ring is a gradual release, that stays in your body for the duration you don’t wish to bleed, it would affect me less. This is absolutely what’s happened and I’m much happier on the ring. I’ve never had any problems with feeling it, I’ve noticed a few reviews stating they bleed through when taking it back to back and from my experience this is the case with most contraception. I wouldn’t recommend if you want to take back to back as you do bleed through.
Very positive mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 17th Jun 25
I was recommended the ring after suffering with irregular and heavy periods. I would describe myself as suffering PMDD before and now my moods are so much better. It's easy to insert, I never feel it, and easy to keep in (or briefly take out) when having sex. The ring is great and I recommend to everyone I meet.
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I had a terrible reaction to this unfortunately, despite my optimism. Main symptoms were intense nausea that caused me to not eat for several days, insane anxiety with some panic attacks (especially as I slept) and some depressive thoughts. I took sick days from work believing it was the flu. I thought there is no way birth control could cause these side effects. After a call with my GP, we suspected it could be the ring. I tried to stick with it but on only day 14, awake at 5am due to recurrent panic attacks, I took it out. The next days were perfect. I ate all the food I could and was so grateful for a restful night's sleep. The difference in how I feel is night and day. I understand that this reaction is probably rare but this is what happened to me.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3rd Aug 25
I suffer with PMDD, making my periods a very awful time for me due to how depressed I feel. I was on the combined pill before, but found this was worsening my emotions and making me feel horrendous. The ring was an idea my GP suggested, thinking that because the ring is a gradual release, that stays in your body for the duration you don’t wish to bleed, it would affect me less. This is absolutely what’s happened and I’m much happier on the ring. I’ve never had any problems with feeling it, I’ve noticed a few reviews stating they bleed through when taking it back to back and from my experience this is the case with most contraception. I wouldn’t recommend if you want to take back to back as you do bleed through.
Very positive mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 17th Jun 25
I was recommended the ring after suffering with irregular and heavy periods. I would describe myself as suffering PMDD before and now my moods are so much better. It's easy to insert, I never feel it, and easy to keep in (or briefly take out) when having sex. The ring is great and I recommend to everyone I meet.
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2670 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
15 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
I have been on this pill for about 2 months and already have had a far better experience then I had on my pervious on.How ever the only think I have really noticed a difference is my appetite has increased quite a bit .surprisingly I was preparing myself for my sex drive to completely change and lose it all but it has actually been somewhat the same
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 4 days ago
Overall a good experience. Main side effects were becoming more irritable and increased body odour
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 4 days ago
It is great overall, but I spot every month on days 14-19 like clockwork. I like the pill so I am hesitant to switch.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
15 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
I have been on this pill for about 2 months and already have had a far better experience then I had on my pervious on.How ever the only think I have really noticed a difference is my appetite has increased quite a bit .surprisingly I was preparing myself for my sex drive to completely change and lose it all but it has actually been somewhat the same
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 4 days ago
Overall a good experience. Main side effects were becoming more irritable and increased body odour
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 4 days ago
It is great overall, but I spot every month on days 14-19 like clockwork. I like the pill so I am hesitant to switch.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 4 days ago
I’ve been on this pill for many years. As a positive side effect, it helped with my acne, which makes sense as I used to have high testosterone levels. However, over the past few years I’ve started getting night sweats during the break week and noticed an increase in my blood pressure.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 6 days ago
Took this pill for around 4 months and it was really good, only issue I had with it was that I was getting pretty bad headaches around my period which I'd only started having since going on this pill. I switched to a different pill to try and stop this issue but had a very negative experience with mood swings and it made me realise that Gederel is actually a very good pill and helped with my mood and anxiety - makes the headaches worth it😂
Somewhat positive mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 6 days ago
This is the 3rd pill I've tried and unfortunately since being on this one I've had horrible mood swings and been more emotionally down - I'm normally quite a happy bubbly person but this pill has made me quite miserable and leaves me feeling as though I'm not in control of my emotions.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Hormonally numbed me. Kept me very flat with no fluctuations in moods at all. Improved my skin but led to continuous cystitis that often spiralled into kidney infections
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
VERY mixed emotions about Yasmin. I've been on it for ages, and I'm still on it. yes the boobs grow a lot. at the beginning my mood changes were crazy I thought I was losing my mind. Anxiety and depression symptoms surfaced (mostly anxiety - intense panic attacks), when I didn't have issues with it prior. They're still there but after years of dealing with it I don't notice as much as I used to. I have noticed that water retention is a big issue, as well as increased appetite - it's much harder to lose weight on the pill compared to off it. I also have an extremely lower libido, like crazy low. My skin cleared so fast and i had really bad dermatitis around my mouth and nose, not to mention hormonal acne on the rest of my face - now i get pimples almost never. Also please please be careful when drinking if you've newly started the pill, it made me a lightweight overnight i swear. Also I skip the sugar pills most of the time, only having my period about 3 times a year which is FANTASTIC
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Very negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
41 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I am one of the happiest people you will ever meet, I’ve always been positive and upbeat and although of course I have down times like anyone I never stay down for long. Within 3 weeks of taking Levest contraceptive tablets I was like a completely different person and I didn’t know what was happening to me, I cried uncontrollable every day, I didn’t want to be here anymore and was actually thinking of ways I could end my life, I was waking up in the middle of the night with a dark pit feeling in my stomach and felt unbelievably low I didn’t know what was happening to me, then it clicked, the only thing I was doing differently to usual was taking the levest pill. I called the GP the next day and they told me to stop taking it immediately, within 4 days I was back to my usual self mentally then I came on the worst period of my life, like a slaughtered animal and so many blood clots. I’ll never take this pill ever again and would definitely warn others about taking it, who’d have thought a simple contraceptive pill could cause so much harm
Very negative mood
0 helpful
0 comments
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