Finding Out If You Were Exposed to DES
Because DES was given to pregnant women between 1938 and 1971 it is often difficult to determine whether exposure occurred. DES Action USA recommends sending self-addressed stamped envelopes, rather than making phone calls to obtain the necessary records. Medical records can be found in some of the following places:- Physician- If the physician is still practicing you can request all medical records in writing. If he is no longer in practice or has passed away his records may have been transferred to another physician or you can call the health department in your county to find out who has the records.
- Hospital- Write to the medical records department of
the hospital where the birth took place.
- Pharmacy- If you know what pharmacy was used you may be able to get records from them, however some pharmacists may not have records that old.
Women may have taken other drugs during pregnancy and determining which drug might have contained DES is sometimes difficult. If DES is included it usually states DES or Stilbestrol. If you are unsure about the drugs given contact DES Action at 1-800-DES-9288 and someone will help you decide whether the drug did contain DES.
If you have difficulty obtaining your mother's medical records inform the physician, hospital, or pharmacy that these are your birth records. Although the records are owned by the provider you have a right to see and copy those records.
If a military physician cared for the pregnancy you can call 1-800-827-1000 and request Standard Form 180 to get your records.
If the records cannot be located, but you have reason to believe that you may have been exposed to DES your physician may want to follow the guidelines for DES exposure just to be on the safe side.
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