DES: Exposure Risk and Consequences
Attention: If you were born between 1938 and 1971, or if you were pregnant during this time the information that follows could have a profound impact on your health.Did your mother take "vitamins" during her pregnancy? Of course, all women should take good prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. But many women who were pregnant between 1938 and 1971 took vitamins that were not vitamins at all. Physicians often told women they were taking vitamins when what they were really taking was diethystilbestrol, more commonly referred to as DES.
DES is a synthetic estrogen that was given to millions of pregnant women during these years because the medical profession believed it would help prevent miscarriage and insure a healthy full term pregnancy. A 1957 advertisement claimed desPLEX would "prevent ABORTION, MISCARRIAGE and PREMATURE LABOR & recommended for routine prophylaxis in ALL pregnancies." This was only one of numerous brand names that DES (diethystilbestrol) was sold under.
DES did not work. In fact, the unfortunate use of this drug has resulted in severe risks and consequences to the health of many of the women who took the drug, as well, the daughters and sons whom they bore.
Women who were pregnant, and daughters and sons who were born during these years need to understand the risks that they may face because of this exposure before birth. Special health care may be required for some individuals to monitor for possible risks that include cancer, and infertility, as well as other conditions.
Resources and support groups are available to help those who were exposed to DES. It is important for everyone born during these years to find out whether their mother was given these drugs during pregnancy. Often this is difficult to find out because of the number of years that have passed; however it is possible to get these records, if you understand how to do it and where to look.
