DES experimentation

Hey all I can't sit back and not let people know because if there is just one girl or person who has been effected by this and did not know, it's definitely worth it.

So I don't know all the information. I don't know and really don't understand what doctors, advertisers, researchers, and the FDA were thinking about besides themselves.

I think people were effected before in Europe too and maybe other places in the world (I feel like I watched a video on Australia anyhow)

But in the US from around the 1930s to 70s a medicine known as DES was prescribed and sold to pregnant women to supposedly stop miscarriages.

It didn't do that. It damaged the sexual health of a lot of those women, even leaking into their children and descendents, and has been shown to cause cancer.

What happened was pretty shady.

People knew it was hurting not helping, for decades. Studies came out and were often burried or ignored.

There was even a group of around 1,600 women in Illinois who were given it without their knowledge or consent. They then had miscarriages and other reproductive problems and likely problems following them and those their babies their entire lives.

That's messed up. I'm still angry about it.

Some of the possible effects:

"These studies, including one looking at DES daughters whose mothers were involved in the University of Chicago experiments, have found possible associations between DES exposure and vaginal and cervical dysplasia (a type of abnormal tissue that either reverts with time or progresses slowly to cancer); adenosis (glandular proliferation); cervical ridges and cervical erosion; uterine structural abnormalities, such as a T-shape of the endometrial cavity and/or an unusually small uterus; uterine hypoplasia (underdeveloped cells); infertility; menstrual irregularities; ectopic pregnancies; fetal death and premature birth; and breast and reproductive-tract cancers (Weitzner and Hirsch, 1981). The pathologic changes were more common in women exposed to high DES doses and those exposed early in gestation. It is estimated that there are almost two million ''DES daughters" now of childbearing age (NIH, 1992).

Injury to male babies, or DES sons, has also been reported. No malignant tumors have been reported, but certain genital and semen abnormalities are more common in men exposed to DES in utero than in men not exposed to DES. These abnormalities include penile bleeding, testicular masses, epididymal cysts, hypoplastic testes, and cryptorchidism (undescended testicle) (NIH, 1992). One article reported that one in three DES sons is sterile (Weitzner and Hirsch, 198"

So listen. I have similar problems. I've known that since I was a girl. The general lack of doctors listening to girls gynecological issues is a whole nother conversation I would love to have.

If you made us sterile, f*** you. What if I wanted to have kids? I've known since I was 14 that there was something very wrong with me and I probably can never bear children or have a normal sexual relationship. You took that choice from me. If you did.

But more than that I'm angry for my mother and grandmother. It is their information so I won't tell details. But I have seen my mother suffer. I have heard her crying in pain from her physical ailments. There were years I thought she would die.

F*** you if you had anything to do with that.

These were real people you were using. Real women who didn't deserve all the s*** you gave to them.

And it confuses me the aftermath.

You know a lot of women in America especially less privileged women in the Midwest who grew up in these times don't talk about themselves. You know the silence.

Sure. I'm sure it helped you think you wouldn't get in trouble. Just give them this pill just put them in this room just tell them you knew what you were doing. Even if they dont want to.Tell them it was for their own good. Sure.

But the media. I still have yet to find documentation on what happened to those women in Chicago. I mean why were they targeted besides being pregnant, what doctors were there, did the hospital ever apologize?

And i know it wasnt just there. When I told my past therapist (Idk if it's true I had the feeling she told me she could relate to all my problems so I didn't feel isolated but I don't think she'd lie) she said "Oh yea, my mom took DES too"

Just simply. It was happening for decades throughout the states.

So eventually, things were exposed, they stopped selling it before more people were hurt. There was some settlements given to some women for the damages. They deserve at least that after all you've taken from them.

But at least in my state, it's been awhile since I read the case files but you bet I read them. There's a limited time. You can only tell the court what happened to you sometimes only a few years from when it happened.

Yes. How fair, when a lot of the symptoms won't show up until decades after they were given it!!

I just. People died. Women suffered. Because of greed and people who knew better hiding.

And you know what really gets me. She didn't want to take it. "But she was a woman he was her doctor she didn't have a choice" my mom said

I'm sorry grandma if your looking down from heaven I am I don't think people will judge you and someone really should have told you then but

My grandma deserved a choice!!!

And of course I've wondered why, how. They f****** put the DES in the cattle too.

I love animals but she was not a f****** animal! She was a person. with children and they had children.

This is why I stay a vegetarian because how dare you treat someone like they are nothing and their pain means nothing to you. We are not cattle.

They were poor, and didn't know and it was your fucking job to take care of them!! Heaven forbid she wanted to have her own children. How dare she right?. How dare she, no money, looked different, did you think she was dumb? Did you think no one would know.

Well I f****** know from the limited time I knew her my grandma was a smart, strong, incredible woman who did not deserve any of the hell life gave her. No one deserved that.

My mom is one of the most loving strong beautiful people in God's green Earth and how dare you hurt her.

She deserved to know decades ago medically she had these risks. Hell, if I had known trust me it could saved me a lot of trauma.

God knows. God knows what happened and God knows what you did and all I know is it wasn't right.

Your time will come too.

[Edited for profanity - SilentSerenityy]