Essure contraceptive: UK women to take legal action due to pain

Two hundred women in the United Kingdom can now take group legal action against the Essure contraceptive device, the women’s lawyers say.

The UK women complained of experiencing pain after having a permanent contraception device fitted into the fallopian tubes. The Essure coil, a device for female sterilization placed into each fallopian tube induces fibrosis and blockage, reportedly caused irreparable damage physically and mentally to women, as reported by the women’s lawyers.

Lawyers in the UK to take action

Lawyers in the UK now have permission to bring a group claim against the manufacturer on behalf of 200 women who experienced severe pain because of the device. 

Bayer, a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, made the Essure birth-control device. The company said that it would defend itself vigorously against the claims.

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The Essure device was withdrawn from sale in 2017. However, the United Kingdom regulator said there was no risk to safety. The device caused immense pain to women.

Lawyers started legal action against the manufacturer in 2020.

Claims by women

Women complained of experiencing constant pain and complications, including heavy bleeding, after the procedure. They had to remove the device because of the pain. Some women said that the device, which is implanted in women’s fallopian tubes to permanently block the passage of eggs to the uterus, can be dangerous for them. They said that the device’s metal parts can cause damage to other parts of the body.

Deborah Chalk, 39, told BBC, “I began to suffer with headaches, abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, rashes, extreme itching and mood changes.”

Lisa Lunt, who represents the 200 women in the UK and is head of medical-product claims at law firm Pogust Goodhead, said that the device has adverse effects on women. She urged the company to compensate women. 

In 2020, the company paid around $1.6 billion to settle the majority of claims by women in the United States related to its Essure birth control device. However, the company has never admitted any wrongdoing.