Sterilize in haste, repent at leisure

By Rebecca Oas, Ph.D. | May 4, 2015

The New York Times reports today that the long-term contraceptive implant Essure may not be as safe as users were led to believe.  Perhaps the most troubling thing about this story can be expressed in the excerpt below – emphasis added:

Troubling long-term data on women using the device, called Essure, was published on Friday after an unusual eight-year delay. Several patients have sued Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, and representatives of patient groups plan to meet with officials of Bayer, the manufacturer, on Tuesday to discuss their concerns.

The device is a small metal and polyester coil placed into a woman’s fallopian tubes in order to make her permanently sterile. The F.D.A. approved Essure after a fast-track review process that prioritized the device because it offered the first alternative to surgical sterilization and promised a quick recovery.

In other words, this device was rushed through to make it widely available (although we don’t know how widely it’s currently used, “because Bayer will not say how many American women have it.”)  Then, there came reports of complications like persistent pain and instances where the device became dislodged and sometimes perforated the patient’s fallopian tubes, requiring surgery.  But these findings were kept from the public, so affected women had to resort to setting up Facebook groups to warn their friends.

This specific device is targeted toward women who want to become permanently infertile and would not likely be used on teenagers. Nevertheless, as calls are being made to increase the use of long-acting contraceptive methods among teens, we should remember that the same pharmaceutical companies and oversight agencies are involved–and question whether they’ve adequately earned our trust.

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