Male condom vs Combined pill

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Male condom

Want to switch contraception?

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 4.1

64 reviews

During or before sex

Frequency

82% - 98%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2372 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

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.

Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

Protects against STIs

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

Male condom reviews

64 reviews

Used for 8+ yr
56 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Mar 24

  •  Stopped using

Potentially safe

Read more

Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  8th Mar 24

  •  Still using

You would need a lot of lube as it is not naturally liberated.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 5 - 8 yr
45 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  23rd Feb 24

  •  Still using

I have no problem apart from feeling friction more quicker then using without a condom.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
56 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Mar 24

  •  Stopped using

Potentially safe


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  8th Mar 24

  •  Still using

You would need a lot of lube as it is not naturally liberated.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 5 - 8 yr
45 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  23rd Feb 24

  •  Still using

I have no problem apart from feeling friction more quicker then using without a condom.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2372 reviews

Used for 3 - 5 yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

  •  Stopped using

Having used cilique for 6 years I have found it very reliable and never had any issues. However all of a sudden it’s not an available and don’t know what’s the next best thing. Doctors have prescribed Gedarel but I’m not enjoying the reviews.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6 days ago

  •  Still using

.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6 days ago

  •  Stopped using

I have been on so many contraceptive pills and am usually unfussy but cilique’s side effects were crazy - weight gain (5kg in 3 months), really noticeable facial hair growth and the WORST chin/hormonal acne. A real nightmare


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

  •  Stopped using

Having used cilique for 6 years I have found it very reliable and never had any issues. However all of a sudden it’s not an available and don’t know what’s the next best thing. Doctors have prescribed Gedarel but I’m not enjoying the reviews.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6 days ago

  •  Still using

.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6 days ago

  •  Stopped using

I have been on so many contraceptive pills and am usually unfussy but cilique’s side effects were crazy - weight gain (5kg in 3 months), really noticeable facial hair growth and the WORST chin/hormonal acne. A real nightmare


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6 days ago

  •  Still using

I went on this one after a bad experience with a similar pill it’s okay. I kind of feel stuck on it because it’s a big improvement from the sickness I felt from the last pill but it’s still not great however I fear that if I change my pills again all those side effects will come back. I experienced HRT like symptoms from what i’ve seen they get better then they get horrendously worse it’s like a constant cycle.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
33 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

  •  Stopped using

Took a while to realise that these were side effects of the pill. Already have a history of depression and anxiety but around 3.5 months into taking this my mood plummeted, I started to have increasingly awful problems with vaginal dryness, thrush and vaginitis. In hindsight I was also having an awful lot of headaches and some migraines, which I haven’t had an issue with for years. 10 days after stopping, every single symptom has gone!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

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

  •  Stopped using

I generally felt great with this pill. No mood changes and lost weight but unfortunately I had vaginal dryness which lead to regular thrush infections. I took a break from Yaz and the thrush infections stopped. I've just swapped to Zoely to see if this suits me better.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Stopped using

I tried Drovelis to attempt to manage PMDD (severe mood drop on top of existing depression) and PCOS. After 5+ months, my sense is that it was absolutely helping with PMDD. I aimed to take it continuously to minimise any mood drop' and did so for 3 months at first. Unfortunately, I just would not stop bleeding - it was more than 'spotting', enough to get through 3-4 tampons a day, every day. Then I tried 2 months of allowing a break between active pills to see if encouraging a 'period' would reduce the breakthrough bleeding, but to no avail. I didn't even used to suffer heavy periods, so I'm genuinely gutted I couldn't seem to settle and stop bleeding on this, as it was great for my PMDD and had no other negative side effects (beyond breast tenderness and temporary breast enlargement in month 1-2). Doctor's advice was if it hadn't settled by almost 6 months, best to try something else (so now I'm starting Yasmin).


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

1 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Still using

Been taking yacella for 6 months after not being on any contraception in years due to fears of side effects. Previously been on Loestrin 20 and Rigevidon both of which gave me horrible cystic acne and low mood. Dr recommended yacella as it has anti-androgenic progesterone and I have mild PCOS. So far it has been pretty good! I think my mood is unaffected, skin is great, sex drive unaffected. I have had some slight weight gain in more 'womanly' areas but nothing crazy. My breasts definitely have grown a lot and for the first few months they were quite sore but this has reduced to mild tenderness now. I do experience pain, especially lower back/pelvic, and am emotional during my 7 day break, however I suffered a lot with cramps prior to taking the pill so this is still an improvement for me. Would recommend, especially for anyone with hormonal imbalances like me.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Stopped using

Having been on this pill for a year, I noticed that I hadn't felt like myself for a while. I found myself with persistently lower moods. Even during times of joy, the feeling felt dampened. This is the primary reason I decided to stop taking this pill; no contraception is worth losing yourself to! I am still in the early stages of being off this pill, but I feel relieved to have made the choice. It did make my withdrawal bleeds ("periods") very light. However, I do also think it completely suppressed my libido. I (being naive) thought that being on a low dosage pill, I might have fewer symptoms, but it just hasn't worked for me. I just wish there were more non-hormonal options out there.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 5 - 8 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was prescribed this pill as I struggled to gain weight therefore, I didn’t have a regular period. I never had any awful experiences with this pill other than after 3 years I started to experience reoccurring thrush. Once it was treated it usually went away until recently, I have been experiencing thrush almost every month always during the week before my break. It has become unbearable leading me to change to a different lower dose birth control instead.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

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