Many Illinois women are in control of their family planning. They have many forms of birth control available, whether they are working professionals wanting to delay motherhood or mothers who are done having children. When women seek the convenience of permanent birth control, however, they have only two options: a tubal ligation or a device called Essure, which consists of coils placed in the woman’s Fallopian tubes. Because Essure does not require surgery, unlike having their tubes tied, many women are attracted to that option. However, Essure has caused thousands of women to experience excruciating abdominal pain after having the device implanted.
Although doctors claim that Essure is a safe form of contraception, the thousands of reports from women with serious symptoms seems to prove otherwise. Although the device can cause mild cramping after insertion, many women have ended up with unbearable stomach pain for months. Some women require hysterectomies in order to remove the Essure coils and get rid of the pain for good.
Are these defective products? The maker of Essure, Bayer, claims that 750,000 women have successfully used Essure. If a few thousand women have problems with it, should it be recalled? Gynecologists acknowledge that Essure can indeed cause pain in some patients. However, every woman is different. For example, some women are unable to use birth control pills due to hormonal imbalances, but these pills are very effective for many women.
Adding insult to injury for the thousands of women who were injured by Essure is the fact that Essure has preemption status. This means that the maker of Essure cannot be sued if women suffer injuries due to its use. This means that the women have no recourse.
So what can women do if they are injured by Essure? They should still preserve their legal rights. A defective products lawyer may be able to find a way for a client to receive some sort of recovery for damages.
Source:
CBS Los Angeles, “Thousands Of Women Say One Form Of Permanent Contraception Causes Excruciating Pelvic Pain” No author given, Sep. 30, 2013