Unshielded

Description

This book is a journalistic account of the story of the 1970,s events of the sale and distribution of an intrauterine device (IUD) crafted by A.H. Robbins pharmaceutical company of the time. More than 400,000 women world wide were convinced that the Dalkon Shield IUD would protect them from unwanted pregnancy until circumstances were right for them to have a pregnancy. Instead, this faulty device caused pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pregnancy that resulted in miscarriage, physical and emotional pain, and infertility. Class action lawsuits allowed for women negatively affected to file a suit for wrongful damage and loss of life. Some claimants were offered a sum of $5,000 dollars for damages after a wait of ten years in the courts. Some recieved $300, 000 dollars for the similar injuries. Why? Media coverage hung the pharmaceutical company out to dry. Read the book and find out more....

Description

Promoted as the 'Cadillac of contraception,' the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device was used by four million women worldwide between 1970 and 1974. However, physicians and women were not warned of its dangers. Unshielded: The Human Cost of the Dalkon Shield provides a comprehensive overview of the manufacturing and marketing of the IUD, and its trail of destruction. It brings to life a story that has been obscured by legal and medical bureaucracy and presents an important lesson about the impact of misinformation on the public.

Subjects