The drug women took to keep from miscarrying?

Question

I'm a D.E.S. kid - meaning my mother took the drug D.E.S. (abbreviation) the whole while she was pregnant with me & I've heard that a D.E.S. kid has a risk of certain health problems or maybe even a chance to get some kind of cancer. Do you know what risks I face?

Answer 1

Here is what I found on the following website and these are just studies. There is more on the website than what I copied and pasted. Just because it is here, doesn't mean that it will happen to you. I will pray for you and your good health, and that you will never have to face or see these risk factor head on.

diethylstilbestrol http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040515/2395.html
Daughters with in Utero DES Exposure

In the daughters of women who took DES during pregnancy, the incidence of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix ranges from 1.4 cases per 1,000 exposed persons to one case per 10,000 exposed persons.13 Clear cell adenocarcinoma is most likely to develop when women with in utero DES exposure are between 17 and 22 years of age. However, cases have been diagnosed in women in their 30s and 40s, and there is concern about a possible second age-incidence peak of clear cell adenocarcinoma as women with in utero DES exposure grow older.14 Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix is rare in women without in utero DES exposure; in such cases, the cancer usually develops in the postmenopausal period.15

Many women who were exposed to DES in utero are just beginning to reach menopause. Because of the concern about a second peak in the incidence of clear cell adenocarcinoma, continued surveillance for this cancer is warranted in these women.16

Women with in utero DES exposure do not have a higher documented incidence of any other cancer. Data from several studies17,18 suggest that these women may have a higher incidence of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, but not invasive cervical carcinoma. However, the findings of these studies have been questioned, in that women with in utero DES exposure may receive increased cytologic screening. A link with breast cancer is under investigation.2


TABLE 2
Structural Abnormalities in Women with in Utero DES Exposure

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Cervix
Hypoplastic cervix
Cockscomb cervix
Cervical collar
Pseudopolyp Vagina
Clear cell adenocarcinoma
Adenosis
Uterus
T-shaped uterus

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DES = diethylstilbestrol


Many women who were exposed to DES in utero have a range of structural reproductive tract abnormalities19,20 (Table 2). The National Collaborative Diethylstilbestrol Adenosis project19 followed approximately 4,500 DES-exposed women for almost 20 years and found an 18 percent incidence of structural uterine, cervical, or vaginal abnormalities. The incidence of these abnormalities may be as high as 33 percent in women with in utero DES exposure.2

DES can cause changes in the vaginal epithelium, including adenosis (columnar epithelium located in the upper one third of the vagina). Although vaginal adenosis is benign, it sometimes causes abnormal bleeding. The degree of adenosis depends on the DES dosage and the stage during the pregnancy that the agent was taken. The most severe changes occur in the daughters of women who took DES during the first trimester.20 Although vaginal clear cell adenocarcinoma generally develops in areas of adenosis, whether individual areas of adenosis progress to this cancer remains unknown.

Performance of colposcopy (to assess for abnormal epithelium) frequently is recommended during the first pelvic examination in all women with in utero DES exposure (Table 3).21 If the initial colposcopic examination is normal, annual pelvic examinations and annual cervical Pap smears and four-quadrant vaginal Pap smears are adequate, and colposcopy does not need to be repeated.21,22 [Reference 22: SOR C, consensus practice guideline based on expert opinion] If the initial colposcopic examination demonstrates any abnormalities, annual colposcopy with cytology is indicated.


TABLE 3
Clinical Recommendation for Women with in Utero DES Exposure

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Perform colposcopy as part of the first pelvic examination. If the colposcopic examination is normal, no further screening is needed. If the examination is abnormal, repeat colposcopy annually along with cervical and vaginal (four-quadrant) cytology.

Perform annual cervical cytology, four-quadrant vaginal cytology, and careful digital palpation for adenosis and vaginal clear cell adenocarcinoma.

Provide counseling about increased risk of infertility and poor pregnancy outcome.

Refer pregnant patients for high-risk obstetric management.



For the four-quadrant Pap smear, cells are obtained from all four walls of the upper vagina. Cells first are obtained from the two lateral walls; then the speculum is rotated 90 degrees, and specimens are obtained from the anterior and posterior walls. The four-quadrant Pap smear should be performed annually to screen for adenosis and clear cell adenocarcinoma in women with in utero DES exposure.

Routine cervical cytology also should be performed annually in women who were exposed to DES in utero. In addition, the cervix and upper vaginal walls should be palpated carefully during the bimanual examination to feel for thickening that might indicate adenosis or clear cell adenocarcinoma.22

Women with in utero DES exposure should be counseled about their slightly increased risk of infertility and a possibly increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Infertility is most common in women with underlying structural abnormalities and usually is caused by uterine or tubal factors.23 Women who were exposed to DES in utero should be monitored closely during pregnancy.24-26

Although most women with in utero DES exposure have normal pregnancies, there is evidence for an increased risk of first- and second-trimester spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm delivery.26 The most comprehensive study26 to date found that
64.5 percent of women with in utero DES exposure had full-term infants, compared with 84.5 percent of matched women who had not been exposed to DES. In addition, the DES-exposed women had higher rates of preterm delivery (19.4 percent versus 7.5 percent), ectopic pregnancy (4.2 percent versus 0.77 percent), and second-trimester spontaneous abortion (6.3 percent versus 1.6 percent). Consequently, high-risk obstetric care may be indicated for pregnant women who were exposed to DES in utero.

Contraceptive management may be complicated in women with in utero DES exposure. Use of intrauterine devices is controversial because of the high incidence of structural uterine abnormalities, as well as possible changes in the elasticity of endometrial tissue. Because of cervical abnormalities, diaphragms and cervical caps may be difficult to fit.27 No evidence indicates that oral contraceptive pills are not safe for use in women with in utero DES exposure, although some experts are reluctant to prescribe hormonal contraception of any type to these women.3

Answer 2

I, too, took the medication while I was at Great Lakes Naval Hospital back in 1971. This was before they knew about the risks and the birth defects it would cause. I was having horrible morning sickness to the point where I couldn't keep down water, even small sips sent me into violent vomiting spasms. I lost that baby. Now, each of my children have lost babies as well. So I suspect, if your children do not have birth defects, they may lose pregnancies to miscarriage. I don't know how many generations of my children will suffer this defect. My children are very healthy, other than the miscarriages (which by the way, has also followed through with my sons) and the death of my youngest daughter in a totally unrelated house fire at the age of 21.
I sincerely hope that you and your children will not face this problem. But you might want to let your doctor know, if and when you get pregnant, so he can be prepared for any problems that might come up.

Answer 3

The problems are usually of the reproductive organs. You might want to go to an OB/GYN and have a full check up so you know if there is anything wrong before you begin thinking about having children.
Good luck