Withdrawal or pull out method vs Combined pill

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Withdrawal or pull out method

Add your withdrawal or pull out method review

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 3.5

15 reviews

During or before sex

Frequency

80% - 96%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2780 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Withdrawal or pull out method ingredients

The withdrawal method (also known as the pull out method) relies on the penis being all the way out of the vagina before ejaculation and ejaculation occurring away from the vagina or vulva.

Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

53% no impact on mood

67% no change

80% no impact

87% no impact

87% no impact on skin

Cycle return

67% in 1 month

31% somewhat negative

47% lighter periods

46% lost sex drive

48% no impact

43% improved skin

Cycle return

37% 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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Add your withdrawal or pull out method review

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£From £0.16/day

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Real life reviews from people like you

Withdrawal or pull out method reviews

15 reviews

Withdrawal or pull out method  
Used for 8+ yr
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Withdrawal or pull out method  

I had the implant for 8 years and it worked well. Took it out for 18 months and when I got it again I only tolerated it for two months due to severe mood impacts

Read more

Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Withdrawal or pull out method  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Mar 24

Withdrawal or pull out method  

I came off the combined pill around 4 years ago after trying many different pills and never quite feeling myself/having terrible clots in my periods on breaks. I'd been told by drs it was the only way to have safe sex from pregnancy and felt i had no choice. The good old fashioned pull out method has been my best friend ever since! Once i spoke to a very wise nurse who told me that i could try the natural cycle way or rely on pull out cleverly. Now i want to say that this isn't for everyone. I have been in a healthy long term relationship with someone i trust and with whom we communicate during all aspects of sex. Because of this we have been able to have all kinds of sex (including penetrative) without any pregnancy scares. My partner is a cis man and i a cis women, and the secret is FULL COMMUNICATION. If he is close to cuming he stops (NEVER ACTUALLY RELY ON PULLING OUT AS YOU CUM NO NO). It's about calming things down on his end when he thinks he'll climax. that means pulling out and moving to oral etc for a while before going again. Normlly this means i get a whole lotta love while he calms down so BONUS!! POSITIVES - I often cum first as it means i always get to cum as he can keep going and we are not relying on one way to have sex. I feel myself! We are more experimental and go on for longer. Its about trust so things feel more intimate, it has led to better communication and much better forplay. This means i cum more often. Knowing my own cycle and getting to know how my body and hormones work. Having sex slowly and sensually, with my pleasure and his both being taken into account due to the fact you can't just have full penetrative sex without thinking. NEGATIVES- he obvs can't cum in me. he doesnt personally feel sad about that. When finally he can't be in me anymore he has to cum using other ways to finish. It means it can be a bit stop and start (personally i think this is fun). You do have to be more careful. THIS IS DEFINITELY FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR SEXUAL PARTNER WELL. ITS ABOUT TRUST. You can't just bang it out like in the movies haha! I do pregnancy tetss every 3 months just in case pre cum has snuck in (it's very unlikely this gets you pregnant especially if your partner is aware of this. but worth thinking about) Overall, Chefs Kiss - but i do sometimes miss he cumming inside me ! BUT WON'T GO BACK


Very positive mood

3 helpful

0 comments

Withdrawal or pull out method  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  22nd Feb 24

Withdrawal or pull out method  

Only used it on occasion and normally alongside another form of contraception. I don't really recommend it as it feel risky


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Withdrawal or pull out method  
Used for 8+ yr
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Withdrawal or pull out method  

I had the implant for 8 years and it worked well. Took it out for 18 months and when I got it again I only tolerated it for two months due to severe mood impacts


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Withdrawal or pull out method  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Mar 24

Withdrawal or pull out method  

I came off the combined pill around 4 years ago after trying many different pills and never quite feeling myself/having terrible clots in my periods on breaks. I'd been told by drs it was the only way to have safe sex from pregnancy and felt i had no choice. The good old fashioned pull out method has been my best friend ever since! Once i spoke to a very wise nurse who told me that i could try the natural cycle way or rely on pull out cleverly. Now i want to say that this isn't for everyone. I have been in a healthy long term relationship with someone i trust and with whom we communicate during all aspects of sex. Because of this we have been able to have all kinds of sex (including penetrative) without any pregnancy scares. My partner is a cis man and i a cis women, and the secret is FULL COMMUNICATION. If he is close to cuming he stops (NEVER ACTUALLY RELY ON PULLING OUT AS YOU CUM NO NO). It's about calming things down on his end when he thinks he'll climax. that means pulling out and moving to oral etc for a while before going again. Normlly this means i get a whole lotta love while he calms down so BONUS!! POSITIVES - I often cum first as it means i always get to cum as he can keep going and we are not relying on one way to have sex. I feel myself! We are more experimental and go on for longer. Its about trust so things feel more intimate, it has led to better communication and much better forplay. This means i cum more often. Knowing my own cycle and getting to know how my body and hormones work. Having sex slowly and sensually, with my pleasure and his both being taken into account due to the fact you can't just have full penetrative sex without thinking. NEGATIVES- he obvs can't cum in me. he doesnt personally feel sad about that. When finally he can't be in me anymore he has to cum using other ways to finish. It means it can be a bit stop and start (personally i think this is fun). You do have to be more careful. THIS IS DEFINITELY FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEIR SEXUAL PARTNER WELL. ITS ABOUT TRUST. You can't just bang it out like in the movies haha! I do pregnancy tetss every 3 months just in case pre cum has snuck in (it's very unlikely this gets you pregnant especially if your partner is aware of this. but worth thinking about) Overall, Chefs Kiss - but i do sometimes miss he cumming inside me ! BUT WON'T GO BACK


Very positive mood

3 helpful

0 comments

Withdrawal or pull out method  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  22nd Feb 24

Withdrawal or pull out method  

Only used it on occasion and normally alongside another form of contraception. I don't really recommend it as it feel risky


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2780 reviews

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

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

was put on this pill after getting lots of infections (thrush, utis, etc) on “Levest” because it is a lower dose 20/150. this has made me much more body conscious, think i gained weight within 2 weeks of being on this pill, i am extremely emotional and hormonal all the time and my sex drive is completely gone- why bother taking the pill as a form of birth control if i now don’t even feel like having sex!!! i do not reccomend


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Levest pill  

Lost some weight, went up a cup size, felt the same as I did before going on BC. Struggled with recurring thrush and UTIs due to the strength of the pill and now no longer take.


Increased sex drive

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Eloine pill  

I enjoyed taking Eloine, I had a few side effects when starting but they eased apart from excessive sweating which is one of the reasons why I’ve stopped taking it. I would definitely recommend to someone looking for a combined pill that’s low oestrogen and anti-androgenic.


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

was put on this pill after getting lots of infections (thrush, utis, etc) on “Levest” because it is a lower dose 20/150. this has made me much more body conscious, think i gained weight within 2 weeks of being on this pill, i am extremely emotional and hormonal all the time and my sex drive is completely gone- why bother taking the pill as a form of birth control if i now don’t even feel like having sex!!! i do not reccomend


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Levest pill  

Lost some weight, went up a cup size, felt the same as I did before going on BC. Struggled with recurring thrush and UTIs due to the strength of the pill and now no longer take.


Increased sex drive

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Eloine pill  

I enjoyed taking Eloine, I had a few side effects when starting but they eased apart from excessive sweating which is one of the reasons why I’ve stopped taking it. I would definitely recommend to someone looking for a combined pill that’s low oestrogen and anti-androgenic.


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Zoely pill  

I was put on this by a private menopause clinic to help my migraines WITHOUT aura which got really awful after 2 years off the pill. It initially made me feel in a great mood, although from the first night I had body aches all over, my joints cracked constantly and I got wicked acid reflux everytime I took it, I had to taken 4 antacids a night. Then I started getting migraine with aura almost everyday, was seeing visuals all the time, felt nauseous and my mood I would describe as hyper, my sleep went out the window. I had night sweats constantly, my skin went dry as a bone and was flaking off, and my hair loss was bad. The clinic told me to remain on it after I complained at 6 weeks. I went to my gp who told me to cease immediately, due to stroke risk with the aura, which I did. Following coming off I felt like a I had a flu, and my mood tanked. Was absolutely horrendous for 3 weeks, before my body and brain recovered. Eventually have gone back on POP which is not perfect, but is not the hell of Zoely!


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Femodette pill  

been on femodette for nearly a decade to control my endometriosis and it’s been fantastic. i used to take it with breaks and had minimal cramps from the endo. i now take back to back and have only had one instance for breakthrough bleeding. it’s been so long that i can’t say for sure the impact on mood, weight etc.


Gained weight

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Qlaira pill  

Improved pain endomyosis symptoms at the expense of mood. Still had issues with breakthrough bleeding but periods were better.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Yasmin pill  

overall this pill is pretty great. on the website there is a lot of negative reviews and i have not shared many. i began this pill in year 10 to clear my acne. i didn’t have terrible acne but i was pretty self conscious about it especially when most of my friends didn’t get acne like mine and i covered it up with concealer and foundation which isn’t good for my skin. my experience with my doctor was extremely positive, he told me that i could either continue a stronger acne cream (which didnt work for me and only dried my skin) begin the pill or take accutane. unlike many of my other friends who were forced to take the pill or some kind of contraceptive, i chose to take the pill and he even let me research which one i would take and we then discussed together which would be suitable for me. in the first couple of months, i stopped breaking out when i had periods and my acne began clearing up very quickly which boosted my confidence a lot. in month three, i began to have stomach cramps when i wasnt on my period so i told my doctor and he said i should try taking it at night and after food which seemed to help. i also began skipping my periods which obviously stopped cramping on and before periods. he also told me it could just be my body reacting the the changes so im not saying this is the solution for everyone. about halfway through year 11, i no longer had any visible pimple and it was mainly just my skin texture that needed improving, but i felt much more confident especially as i moved to a new school in year 11 and was surrounded by new people and a new environment. my skin was so good that by the end of year 11, we went on a school trip to heron island and i didn’t cover my acne at all. while my main issues were fixed, i experienced much more discharge, not in amount but every day i had discharge which made me feel a bit unhygienic down there but i didnt want to stop or switch the pill as it had improved my skin so much. now i have been on it for almost three years i find that this issue has been improved which is a plus for me but it was uncomfortable around the halfway mark where it peaked. i do reccomend this pill besides the low reviews, but i do think that the first couple of months i experienced changes (the cramping) that only reduced by letting my body get used to the medication. this is just my experience and not medical advice :)) thanks yazmin :b


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Rigevidon  

I was on this pill for my periods as they were very irregular and acne and in the beginning it worked very well but after a few months I had intense break through bleeding and I was basically on my period for months. My acne cleared then got worse, I gained alot of weight and I started having horrible migraines


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Rigevidon  

Need change for another one


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Millinette 30/75 pill  

Had it for almost a year now, I’ve been on the pill (around 5 different ones) since I was 13 due to heavy non stop bleeding. This one had the fewest noticeable side effects that didn’t make me want to change, apart from the sex drive. I don’t know if it’s because my hormones have been tampered with since I started puberty but I’m 18 now and this low libido, sex drive and vaginal dryness is not ideal. It’s a bit of a hindrance.


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

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