Diethylstilbestrol and Media Coverage of the "Morning After" Pill

Abstract

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves numerous prescription medicines everyday. The public consumes them, because they believe that these drugs will be safe and effective. We know that not all drugs are one hundred percent free of risks from other side effects, but we consume them because the FDA has judged them to be safe. There are times when the FDA does not approve the safety of high-demand drugs quickly enough to please the public and the companies that would like to manufacture the medicines. One example of such a situation involves the "morning after" pill. As a result of public demand, the media has pressured the FDA to speed up the approval of Diethylstilbestrol (DES) for use as a "morning after" pill. The misleading, inaccurate, and incomplete information about the "morning after" pill as delivered by journalists has deceived members of the public and has caused them to put even more pressure on the FDA. This pressure may cause the FDA to give less careful consideration to the risks associated with the disease and may ultimately harm many women's health. The popularity of DES in 1970s resulted in tragic outbreaks of cancer in both the users of the drug and their children. By presenting only the benefits of DES, the media jeopardizes the health of many more in the future.