Concerned about DES Exposure? Take this DES Self-Assessment

August 20th, 2012. By AbiK

Pregnancy drug DES has been back in the media spotlight lately as more and more women become aware of possible DES exposure they may have experienced in utero. DES—or diethylstilbestrol—was prescribed to pregnant women during between the 1940s and the early 1970s to help prevent miscarriage.

DES was ultimately removed from the market when studies revealed the drug’s link to certain cancers, among other potential side effects. DES risks include vaginal and cervical cancers for women whose mothers had taken diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy. Additionally, harmful DES side effects may include breast cancer, early menopause and infertility in women who had actually taken the drug.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a DES Consumer Guide that provides information about DES. The web page includes a DES Self-Assessment Guide that helps indicate whether an individual has had the potential to have been exposed to DES and the possible DES health risks if, indeed, DES exposure did occur. Please note: the DES Self-Assessment Guide cannot specifically determine whether a person was actually exposed to DES, but it does provide a guide for further discussion with a healthcare professional.

If you’re a DES daughter or think you may have been exposed to DES in utero and have experienced harmful side effects, you may also want to consider your legal options. DES victims can fill out a complaint form for a DES attorney to review here.

Tags: Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, DES, DES Daughters, DES Mothers, Diethylstilbestrol, Pregnancy Drug, Vaginal Cancer

This was posted on Monday, August 20th, 2012 at 10:21 am and is filed under Drugs/Medical, Emerging Issues, lawsuits . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.