When a new contraceptive implant came on the market over a decade ago, it was considered a breakthrough for women who did not want to have more children, a sterilization procedure that could be done in a doctor’s office in just 10 minutes.
Now, 13 years later, thousands of women who claim they were seriously injured by the implant are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take the device off the market and to warn the public about its complications.
Troubling long-term data on women using the device, called Essure, was published on Friday after an unusual eight-year delay. Several patients have sued Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, and representatives of patient groups plan to meet with officials of Bayer, the manufacturer, on Tuesday to discuss their concerns. […]
The National Center for Health Research, a nonprofit group, has begun analyzing adverse event reports related to Essure, looking for patterns of complications.
“The fact that 16,000 women with children and a lot of things to do are willing to take the time to talk about this is very, very unusual,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the group, referring to Mrs. Firmalino’s Facebook page. “I can’t think of another device like this.”
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