Thousands of women are saying that the nonsurgical, permanent birth control method Essure has ruined their lives.
Essure has caused damage to internal organs, joint pain, fatigue, weight gain, headaches and irregular menstrual cycles, they report. Some women have had serious inflammation that caused the need for a hysterectomy.
Essure, which is supposed to provide a highly effective birth control option, has been a popular option for women who do not wish to have more children. A metal coil device is inserted in the Fallopian tubes to prevent the possibility of conception. After the birth control is implanted, tissue grows around the tubes over time, creating a barrier between the ovaries and uterus so that eggs cannot enter.
And while scientifically the method makes sense, some women have become pregnant. In some cases, coils have migrated away from the placement, which causes a passageway for an egg to reach the uterus. The FDA says Essure is 99.83 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.
"There are some people who are having success with it, but I would not want to gamble that. I'm not a gambler. Unfortunately this is something I gambled with, and I've made one of the biggest mistakes of my life," says Essure patient Crystal Plumlee.
Women are asking the FDA, which approved Essure in 2002, to remove the birth control from the market, and have rallied together on Facebook to share their stories. The famous activist Erin Brockovich is also rallying behind the women.
One woman, Sarah Payne, says the device ruined her life, causing her to develop early menopause. "It was like a ripping," Payne says of her 2010 procedure. "When you stand up it feels like someone's taking your muscles or your insides and trying to pull them apart. It would take me to the floor."
Payne then lost her hair, had hot flashes and night sweats. Her doctor told her the only option she had was to have a hysterectomy and take hormones.
About 750,000 women have had the device implanted since it first hit the market, according to the FDA, and 943 have reported an adverse side-effect on FDA.gov. Women whose lives have been ruined by Essure cannot get legal justice. The company that invented the Bayer-owned Essure, Conceptus, claimed to do in-depth testing to assure safety and effectiveness, which allowed it to get pre-market approval (PMA) from the FDA that prevents future lawsuits. Women who have injuries or who wish to sue after medical treatment cannot do so.
Essure says that the side effects are posted. "Essure was approved by the FDA in 2002 and has more than a decade of research and development behind it. It does what it is intended to do, provide an important alternative to tubil[sic] ligation," a Bayer representative says. "The fact is, that the adverse events that have been reported on the news and online about Essure are known and are listed in the Essure product information."
Those who wish to join forces with these women can check out Erin Brockovich's website for the cause.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
