Erin Brockovich Condemns Essure: ‘There’s Something Wrong With The Device’

Erin Brockovitch, the well-known legal clerk and activist, has spoken out against the Essure birth control procedure claiming it isn’t safe.

The permanent form of birth control, which hundreds of woman say has given them some nasty side effects, is something that Brockovich is against and she has started a grassroots campaign against Essure.

She told ABCNews.com that she first heard about Essure around a year ago. Since then she has launched an online petition and campaign to encourage woman not to use it for birth control.

She said about the product:

There’s something wrong with the device, in my opinion. It’s a form of permanent birth control, and women’s organs are being perforated … It’s ridiculous that at any level we try to defend this. If 30 women did suffer harm for unknown reason, we’d investigate. We have thousands injured. I don’t think it’s safe.

Essure, which was approved by the Food And Drug Administration, is supposed to be an economical and simple alternative to a hysterectomy. In the procedure flexible coils are placed in the vagina and then into the fallopian tubes via the cervix. The scar tissue formed is then supposed to block the tubes from insemination.

But due to many reports from woman who say they have experienced complications with the device Erin Brockovich wants to see Essure off the shelves.

She said about the company who produces Essure: “[Bayer] should care about the health and welfare of all people. Especially women and children in this country. If this many are reporting injuries, take it off the market. It’s not working. These women were misled. They feel they were scammed.”

She continued to condemn the birth control product, making her views on Essure loud and clear:

“Preemption is not about the Essure women – it affects all consumers. If someone had a medical device installed, there’s no recourse for victims, and the company is protected. If there’s a problem, the company gets a pass, because they have preemption. It dawned on me the consumer didn’t know. The women didn’t know that this existed.”

It remains to be seen what effect Erin Brockovich‘s anti Essure campaign will have on sales of the product which was approved over 10 years ago by medical authorities.