How many of you remember the Thalidomide scandal – or the harms linked to Primodos and sodium valproate?
All of these cases followed a chillingly similar pattern: women were prescribed medication, told it was safe, and left to live with devastating consequences – not just for themselves, but for their children.
This week, women and families affected by another drug, diethylstilbestrol (or DES), are calling for a public inquiry. The drug, a synthetic form of oestrogen, was given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriage. While the US stopped prescribing it in 1971 after it was linked to cancer, the UK continued until 1978.
I spoke to Susie Martin, who has endured more than 20 surgeries since being diagnosed with a rare gynaecological condition she believes stems from the medication her mother was given during pregnancy.
"I've had this big weight hanging over me all the time," she told me. "You always worry the diagnosis will come back worse than last time. There was physical pain as well as emotional pain – sleepless nights, time off work, time away from my children."
Her mother, Jennifer Bradley, now 82, was prescribed DES twice in the late 1960s after suffering miscarriages. She told me she raised concerns with her GP after seeing a TV report about the risks – but was dismissed.
Campaigners say more than 300,000 women in the UK were prescribed DES, describing it as "a silent scandal" that has spanned generations. They want answers – and recognition from the government for what's been called one of the most devastating pharmaceutical failures in British history.
You can read my full piece here.
While we're on the subject of women's health and medical oversight, my colleague Zoe Beaty has a powerful investigation into another growing concern – the rise of unregulated private ultrasound scans that experts say are putting women at risk.
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