Essure… Permenent solution or Lifelong Problem?

While Essure has been in the market for over a decade, it has not gotten as much attention as it is now, but not necessarily in a good way.

Essure is a form of permanent birth control. The alternative to tubal ligation better known as “getting your tubes tied.” The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Essure System on November 4, 2002. It is offered all across the country to women that feel like their family is complete and do not wish on getting pregnant again. It only takes a ten-minute procedure, after that are required to wait in the office for 45-minutes and then you are allowed to go home. The Essure implants are inserted in the fallopian tubes, which blocks the pathways and prevents pregnancy. The procedure is not reversible, so women have to be sure of their decision prior to getting the procedure done.

While the procedure seems promising, there has been a lot of recent controversy. Many women have come forward stating that they regret having the procedure done. Several Facebook pages have been created with now thousands of likes where other women can get information on how severely the procedure has had an affect on their everyday life. Women are claiming to be victims, and are sharing their stories with women all across the United States to try and get the word out and, and possibly even get Essure off the market.

Social media is playing a huge role on spreading the word about the side effects of Essure. From Facebook pages, to news segments, and now even online petitions. Change.org is the largest petition site in the world. “When people start petitions on the site they are guided to share their petition via their social media networks and email, and that is the primary way they’re able to garner signatures,“ said Aften Lay, the communications manager at Change.org.

The Facebook site leads women to change.org where they can easily sign a petition to take Essure off the market. Currently the petition to get Essure off the market is at 851 supporters. With 149 more signatures needed to attempt to stop Essure Systems from being offered anymore. The petition isn’t only to try to get Essure off the market, but to try to get reimbursements for the women affected.

After being criticized in the media lately, Bayer had a lot to say about their product and what they felt was their side to the story. “At Bayer, we care about patients and take the safety of our products very seriously. We are saddened to hear of any serious health condition affecting a patient using one of our products, regardless of the cause.” Stated Mary Funk, an associate director of communications at Bayer.

As with any medical procedure, women should be very cautious of its side effects. “No form of birth control is without risk or should be considered appropriate for every woman. It is important that women discuss the risks and benefits of any birth control option with their physicians,” said Mary Funk.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) also had some things to say regarding Essure. “No form of birth control is 100 percent effective and scientific evidence reviewed by the FDA shows that Essure is a highly effective means of sterilization when used according to instructions.” Said Morgan Liscinsky, an FDA press officer. She continued by adding, “We will continue to monitor the safety of this product to make certain its benefits of providing women with a non-surgical sterilization choice continue to outweigh the risks of the device.” No form of birth control is without risk or should be considered appropriate for every woman.

Be cautious, be safe, be smart. Remember to read the label before taking such a big step into your future.