According to reports of Essure birth control injuries, thousands of women have suffered extraordinary complications after being implanted with the Essure birth control system

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Essure is a permanent form of birth control, or contraceptive, device for women.

The implantation of the Essure medical device does not require a surgical incision. Rather, it is made up of flexible coils that are inserted into a women’s fallopian tubes through the vagina and cervix.

The fallopian tubes are what transport a woman’s eggs from the ovaries to the uterus, and so, after a health care provider inserts the flexible coils into the fallopian tubes, over a course of roughly three months, tissue begins to form around them. The growth of tissue around the fallopian tube prevent sperm from reaching the egg, therefore ensuring birth control.

Essure is maintained to be inserted permanently, and thus creates, allegedly, a permanent form of contraception. To note, another method of contraception must be used throughout the three months following the procedure. After an ultrasound or X-ray is used to verify the correct placement of the Essure medical device and the procedure is successful, a woman may stop using the other forms of birth control.

According to the Mayo Clinic, immediately after the procedure some side effects may result due to the device’s implantation. These side effects may include: nausea or vomiting; dizziness or lightheadedness; bleeding or spotting; cramping; and abdominal pain.

The Mayo Clinic also maintains that if a woman passes a coil or has severe and persistent pelvic pain after the Essure implantation, to contact her medical provider immediately.

Essure Birth Control Injuries

According to the FDA, however, over the course of the past several years, they have been considering possible increased Essure birth control injuries and a “growing number of adverse event reports associated with the use of Essure.”

The federal agency notes that serious adverse side effects and Essure birth control injuries have included,” persistent pain, perforation of the uterus and/or fallopian tubes, intra-abdominal or pelvic device migration, abnormal or irregular bleeding, and allergy or hypersensitivity reactions.”

Additionally, the FDA reports that due to Essure birth control injuries, some women have had to have the Essure device removed due to serious adverse side effects. They state, moreover, that, “Essure failure, and, in some cases, incomplete patient follow-up, have resulted in unintended pregnancies.”

There is more information regarding Essure birth control injuries and other risks to be mindful of when considering the device’s implantation. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, a woman may not have further pelvic electrosurgical procedures, such as types of endometrial ablation, a procedure offering the decrease in a women’s menstrual flow after having the Essure system implanted.

Moreover, the Essure medical device does not offer protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

According to the FDA, they assembled a meeting with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee in September 2015 to discuss with women who have experiences with Essure the health risks and benefits involved in being implanted with the contraceptive. The assembled meeting further included discussions to hear clinical opinions and other expert scientific views.