{"id":353257,"date":"2016-05-25T13:01:56","date_gmt":"2016-05-25T18:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/injury\/product-liability\/essure-birth-control-issues-and-faqs.html"},"modified":"2023-12-06T10:28:25","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T15:28:25","slug":"essure-birth-control-issues-and-faqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/essure-birth-control-issues-and-faqs.html","title":{"rendered":"Essure Birth Control: Safety Issues and Legal Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Essure Birth Control: Safety Issues and Legal Information<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Oni Harton, J.D.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The Essure birth control device led to thousands of adverse health reports, including organ perforation, chronic pain, and even death. Bayer, which acquired the original manufacturer, faced over 39,000 lawsuits and ultimately settled most claims for $1.6 billion. Bayer voluntarily removed the product from the market in 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Essure Permanent Birth Control System is a permanent, non-surgical form of birth control for women. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Essure in 2002.\u00a0According to the FDA<\/a>, as of December 31, 2019, all unused Essure units should have been returned to Bayer and are no longer available for implantation.<\/p>\n

Since its 2002 approval, thousands of patients filed complaints about the device. Some of these complaints were for organ perforation. Others involved pelvic pain, unintended pregnancies, abnormal bleeding, and even death.<\/p>\n

Conceptus, Inc. was the original manufacturer of Essure. However, Bayer later acquired the medical device company.<\/p>\n

The device consists of flexible coils inserted through the vagina and cervix into the fallopian tubes. The device irritates the fallopian tube tissue and builds scar tissue around the coil. This creates a barrier that blocks sperm from reaching the egg.<\/p>\n

While the device worked for thousands of women, many others experienced Essure complications. So many women were injured while they had the Essure implant they filed a class action lawsuit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article discusses the health problems associated with the device, Essure birth control lawsuits, and theories of liability that affected patients are reporting. If you’ve been harmed by Essure or another pharmaceutical product, a product liability attorney<\/a> can provide advice targeted to your situation.<\/p>\n

How Many Essure Patients Experience Problems?<\/h2>\n

According to\u00a0Consumer Reports<\/a>, close to 20,000 Essure patients had\u00a0problems with the device<\/a>. Of the more than 17,000 patients who reported adverse events, more than half of them had to get surgery to resolve complications. Sadly, many of the women who got sick after having the Essure implant needed a complete hysterectomy.<\/p>\n

Approximately 3-4% of Essure patients experienced severe side effects. Many of these patients relied on their doctors to correct the problem. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t know how to solve the issue other than implanting more devices. This creates a vicious cycle. The more devices a doctor implants, the higher the risk of the woman getting sick.<\/p>\n

Essure Health Problems<\/h2>\n

Women who had the Essure system implanted reported device breakage. Thousands of affected women reported mild to severe medical complications related to Essure. Some of the reported side effects include:<\/p>\n