Vaginal ring vs Hormonal coil (IUS)

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Vaginal ring

£From £0.41/day

Hormonal coil (IUS)

Add your Hormonal coil (IUS) review

Overview

Rated 3.7

54 reviews

Every 3 weeks

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 3.5

857 reviews

Every 3-8 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Vaginal ring ingredients

Main hormones in Vaginal ring

progestogen

oestrogen


Hormonal coil (IUS) ingredients

Main hormones in Hormonal coil (IUS)

progestogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

52% no impact on mood

54% lighter periods

44% lost sex drive

69% no impact

44% no impact on skin

Cycle return

47% in 1 month

43% no impact on mood

47% stopped periods

47% no impact

59% no impact

52% no impact on skin

Cycle return

32% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

Adenomyosis

Endometriosis

Heavy periods

Menopause

Period pain

Try it now

£From £0.41/day

Try it now

Add your Hormonal coil (IUS) review

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Vaginal ring reviews

54 reviews

Vaginal ring  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3rd Aug 25

SyreniRing  

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.

Read more

Very positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Vaginal ring  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jun 25

SyreniRing  

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

Vaginal ring  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th May 25

NuvaRing  

The first few months weren’t awful, had regular side effects like nausea, anxiety & tiredness. The main function of the ring for me was to skip my periods & for the first 3 months it worked great. On my 4th ring a few days later I started to feel incredibly nauseous (I didn’t vomit) & the day after I started bleeding, I spotted every day for over a month & still spot every other day, I also had had a large sack of my uterus wall come out which is apparently a side effect when your hormones are unstable. My hips, pelvis, back and legs were aching to the point I struggled to walk. I removed the ring & had instant relief. The nuvaring has made it so I physically can’t have sex as it feels like my vagina is on fire as soon as anything’s inserted, when I took the ring out for a few days this went away & came back the second I reinserted it (it’s also irritated my partners penis). I don’t know if I’m just very sensitive down there or my body doesn’t agree with having a foreign body inside but this just simply hasn’t worked for me. It’s also difficult to get in the right position. My boobs have gotten bigger tho atleast but so has my tummy from the awful bloating!! Swapping to the patch today & hoping it works.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Vaginal ring  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3rd Aug 25

SyreniRing  

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

Vaginal ring  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jun 25

SyreniRing  

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

Vaginal ring  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th May 25

NuvaRing  

The first few months weren’t awful, had regular side effects like nausea, anxiety & tiredness. The main function of the ring for me was to skip my periods & for the first 3 months it worked great. On my 4th ring a few days later I started to feel incredibly nauseous (I didn’t vomit) & the day after I started bleeding, I spotted every day for over a month & still spot every other day, I also had had a large sack of my uterus wall come out which is apparently a side effect when your hormones are unstable. My hips, pelvis, back and legs were aching to the point I struggled to walk. I removed the ring & had instant relief. The nuvaring has made it so I physically can’t have sex as it feels like my vagina is on fire as soon as anything’s inserted, when I took the ring out for a few days this went away & came back the second I reinserted it (it’s also irritated my partners penis). I don’t know if I’m just very sensitive down there or my body doesn’t agree with having a foreign body inside but this just simply hasn’t worked for me. It’s also difficult to get in the right position. My boobs have gotten bigger tho atleast but so has my tummy from the awful bloating!! Swapping to the patch today & hoping it works.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments


Hormonal coil (IUS) reviews

857 reviews

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Mirena coil  

I liked that it was minimal effort once inserted. My periods were far lighter and less frequently occurring. Because of the thickening of vaginal fluids being part of the mechanism; I found I because much more prone to UTIs after sex and also had lower sexual drive. I came off the Mirena because I wanted to track my cycle accurately to see if my hormones and cycle were affecting/triggering my seizures (I have drug resistant epilepsy). When I came off the Mirena I found I was less anxious over the months following swapping to the copper coil I.e. non hormonal. This had not been a concern of mine when on it.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Levosert coil  

While I had my Levosert, I liked it. I had mood changes, and cried a lot more than usual, but mostly just leading up to my period so it was manageable. I had recurrent thrush with it, and actually ended up having a prescription for monthly fluconazole tablets. In the end, after around 2 years, my coil slipped into my cervix, and it was incredibly stressful. I had no symptoms that it had slipped down, except my strings were a bit longer than usual. A doctor mistakenly told me it was fine to keep using, but when I later had it checked at a different clinic with ultrasound, they were alarmed that I'd had no symptoms as it was pretty much almost out of my body. I'd essentially been unprotected for about 8 months, and this led to a big pregnancy scare.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Mirena coil  

The mirena coil did effectively reduce menstrual bleeding and prevent pregnancy. Due to thickening vaginal discharge I found I was more prone to thrush and also that this had an impact on arousal. I was an advocate for the hormonal coil until I changed to a non hormonal birth control and found that this had elevated my anxiety certain times in my cycle. I am epileptic without seizure control and this was my reason for coming off hormonal methods. Female hormones can trigger seizures in women with refractory epilepsy!


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Mirena coil  

I liked that it was minimal effort once inserted. My periods were far lighter and less frequently occurring. Because of the thickening of vaginal fluids being part of the mechanism; I found I because much more prone to UTIs after sex and also had lower sexual drive. I came off the Mirena because I wanted to track my cycle accurately to see if my hormones and cycle were affecting/triggering my seizures (I have drug resistant epilepsy). When I came off the Mirena I found I was less anxious over the months following swapping to the copper coil I.e. non hormonal. This had not been a concern of mine when on it.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Levosert coil  

While I had my Levosert, I liked it. I had mood changes, and cried a lot more than usual, but mostly just leading up to my period so it was manageable. I had recurrent thrush with it, and actually ended up having a prescription for monthly fluconazole tablets. In the end, after around 2 years, my coil slipped into my cervix, and it was incredibly stressful. I had no symptoms that it had slipped down, except my strings were a bit longer than usual. A doctor mistakenly told me it was fine to keep using, but when I later had it checked at a different clinic with ultrasound, they were alarmed that I'd had no symptoms as it was pretty much almost out of my body. I'd essentially been unprotected for about 8 months, and this led to a big pregnancy scare.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Mirena coil  

The mirena coil did effectively reduce menstrual bleeding and prevent pregnancy. Due to thickening vaginal discharge I found I was more prone to thrush and also that this had an impact on arousal. I was an advocate for the hormonal coil until I changed to a non hormonal birth control and found that this had elevated my anxiety certain times in my cycle. I am epileptic without seizure control and this was my reason for coming off hormonal methods. Female hormones can trigger seizures in women with refractory epilepsy!


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Kyleena coil  

Positives: lighter pain free periods, no anxiety over remembering to taking a pill everyday, no changes to mood skin weight etc. Negative: it moved after 11 months and I fell pregnant


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Kyleena coil  

I was on the Kyleena IUD for 10 months after being on mirena for 5 years. Kyleena has had a terrible impact on my mental health and the reason I got it removed was because increased hair loss.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Mirena coil  

Have only had the coil for 2 months (although feels like much longer) so will give it a bit more of a chance, I also acknowledge that everyone reacts differently and my side effects seem to be less common, however in my experience and at this point in time, the negative side effects FAR outweigh the positives. My GP talked me into trying Mirena for managing my PCOS and the excruciating pain I would experience on occasion from burst ovarian cysts, as well as the birth control aspect. I’ve gone from an abnormally long (but fairly painless) cycle to an even longer one, bleeding and in moderate-severe pain almost daily. If my stomach doesn’t hurt, my head will be, or both. I’m not joking when I say I look pregnant from abdominal swelling on top of it all.


Worse skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
63 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Mirena coil  

It was a very positive as i was having irregular heavy periods And personally I had a much better libido When in the past, bloods tested low in testerol levels of 7.5 i II wish this had been aware of of this before bow, i thought there was something not quite right as apparently 12 or above is the better level of testerol for women


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2nd Sep 25

Mirena coil  

I've had the Mirena coil for about 10 months now, my doctor recommended it to stop uterine polyps from reappearing. Prior to the coil I had very heavy, extremely painful periods and pretty bad iron deficiency, but now my periods are super light and not painful at all!! The insertion was painful but not worse that the period cramps I used to get before; I spotted for 3 months straight but after that I started having semi-regular periods. I noticed that I had much more energy (probably because my iron levels were back to normal), my libido increased and I lost weight. I am really really happy with the coil.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
52 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  31st Aug 25

Mirena coil  

Awful experience having it fitted, very painful. I’m convinced it triggered vaginal atrophy (I was already menopausal)


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Hormonal coil (IUS)  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  31st Aug 25

Mirena coil  

Recurrent abdominal pain and pressure in my lower tummy. The only positive thing is that it has stopped heavy periods


Worse skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

1 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Vaginal ring with other contraceptives

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