Dalkon Shield

[ dal-kon ]

Pharmacology, Trademark.

1. a brand name for an intrauterine contraceptive device withdrawn from the market in 1974, having been associated with an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and spontaneous abortion in women who used it.

Example Sentences

IUDs were saddled with a bad reputation in the United States due to a defective device, the Dalkon Shield, marketed in the 1970s, which caused severe infections and even deaths.

From Seattle Times

Though other IUDs did not carry the risks of the Dalkon Shield, negative views of IUDs persisted for decades in the American market, and other manufacturers withdrew their products for fear of litigation and because of low demand and a strict approval process.

From Seattle Times

She said a defective Dalkon Shield IUD device given to her by Howard ultimately rendered her sterile after her doctor misdiagnosed an infection.

From Washington Post

Older parents may remember infection and infertility issues with the Dalkon shield IUD, but today’s IUDs are far improved, and modern IUDs are not associated with an increased risk of serious infections of the uterus.

From Seattle Times

As Rainey Horwitz explains in the Embryo Project, its string "drew vaginal bacteria into the uterus, resulting in septic infection, miscarriage, and an array of other related complications, including death…. the Dalkon Shield was correlated to an increased rate of pregnancy-associated complications, including septic pregnancies, or a bacterial infection of the placenta and fetus. Those complications were serious enough that they usually led to hospitalization."

From Salon