The majority of persons exposed to DES have not
experienced negative health consequences. However, several important
health risks have already been defined, including a modestly increased
risk of breast cancer in women prescribed DES while pregnant.
In the United States, DES was prescribed primarily to prevent spontaneous
abortion and premature delivery between 1938 and 1971 (12). Never
patented, it was prescribed under more than 200 different brand
names under a variety of dosage regimens, including in combination
with vitamins (290). DES was shown to lack efficacy for prevention
of pregnancy complications in 1953 (291). However, it was still
widely prescribed until it was demonstrated, in the early 1970s,
that women exposed to DES in utero developed clear cell adenocarcinoma
(CCA) of the vagina and cervix at a rate significantly higher than
the general population (132,157).
Although public education campaigns were undertaken, not all people
exposed to DES know about their exposure. Some women may be aware
that they took DES; others suspect they may have been prescribed
DES based on a history of pregnancy losses and a memory of taking
medication to prevent pregnancy losses between 1938 and 1971. Any
woman with a biological daughter diagnosed with CCA before menopause
is highly likely to have been exposed to DES while pregnant. For
more information on the drug DES, including details of current usage,
refer to DES: Pharmacology.
For a complete list of the numbered citations
on this page see DES References.
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