PREVENTATIVE DRUG THAT DID MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was a drug used to prevent spontaneous abortions in pregnant women. This molecule is comprised of synthetic estrogen that is meant prevent miscarriages, treat breast cancer, and as a birth control pill.

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Scientist previously found synthetic estrogen could be used as a hormone replacement and a way to enhance reproductivity. Millions of women from 1938-1971 took these pills to prevent miscarriages, help with diabetes, and treat women who had previous difficulties with pregnancies. Drug companies’ mass-produced DES because it was easy and cheap to produce. Married team Olive Smith and George Smith were Harvard researchers that sought to find the proper dosage of DES that should be administered to women taking DES.

A study done at Tulane in the 1950s showed women who took DES were more susceptible to experiencing miscarriages and premature births. The Tulane study showed the faults from the previous experiment done by Harvard professionals. The study lacked a control group and the suggestion of bed rest for the patients were the real solution to their miscarriages. Prescriptions didn’t stop until the article in the found the cancer, clear-cell adenocarcinoma (CCA), was present in young mothers who took DES.

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In 1991, many mothers came out and exposed pharmaceutical companies for giving them DES without their knowledge. At the University of Chicago in the 50s, about over 1000 pregnant women were unknown subjects to the DES drug. These women were used to see how the drug affected their pregnancy. So, they had a control group of pregnant women and another group who was tested without their consent. Many of the mother experienced CCA symptoms, cervical, and breast cancer.

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Marcia Love, like other offspring affected by the DES given to their mothers, suffers consequences of the drug. “The person I was meant to be was never born and my body was permanently altered before I was born for no reason other than profit.”,( ), Mary Love is a transwoman who experienced microphallus, gender dysmorphia, and ovaries. DES sons were found to have developed non-cancerous epididymal and undescended testes. According to a survey by Dr. Scott Kerlin, 150 out of the 500 males experienced gender identity issues. DES daughters’ fate was increased risk of infertility, pregnancy complications, CCA, and structural reproductive tract issues. The lack of consent was a strong point that helped them win their case.

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Sources:

("The Diethylstilbestrol Legacy: A Powerful Case Against Intervention in Uncomplicated Pregnancy." American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Nov. 2016, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/Supplement_1/S42.)

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Ethical and Legal Issues Relating to the Inclusion of Women in Clinical Studies; Mastroianni AC, Faden R, Federman D, editors. Women and Health Research: Ethical and Legal Issues of Including Women in Clinical Studies: Volume I. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1994. C, DES Case Study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236538/

"Diethylstilbestrol (DES) in the US." , 23 Mar. 2015, embryo.asu.edu/pages/diethylstilbestrol-des-us.

"1950–1952: DES a Synthetic Estrogen Tested on Pregnant Women Without Their Consent." , 3 Jan. 2015, ahrp.org/1950-1952-des-diethylstilbestrol-a-synthetic-form-of-estrogen-tested-on-pregnant-women-without-their-consent-des-has-been-proven-very-harmful-to-developing-female-fetuses/.

"What is DES?" DES Action USA | We Identify, Educate, Empower and Advocate for DES-exposed Individuals, desaction.org/what-is-des/.

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"DES Effects Seen Extending to Users' Grandchildren." Medical News and Free Online CME | MedPage Today, 21 May 2018, www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/adhd-add/73008

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"Normal Vs. T-shaped Uterus." DES Daughter Network, 29 Feb. 2020, desdaughter.com/normal-vs-t-shaped-uterus/.

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