diagnosis guide
If you’ve just received a medical diagnosis, or you’re concerned that something in your present or past health history might be jeopardizing your fertility, check here for quick info on common medical conditions and how they can affect conception and pregnancy.
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DES Exposure
What It Is
DES (diethylstilbestrol) is a synthetic form of estrogen, which was prescribed from 1938 until 1971 for women who had experienced miscarriages or premature deliveries in the past. At the time, doctors assumed that the cause of these problems was low levels of estrogen. DES was given to about 4 million women in the United States during this time. Women whose mothers received DES while pregnant with them are at increased risk for fertility problems and a rare vaginal cancer. Men exposed to DES in utero are at an increased risk for non-cancerous cysts of the epididymous (the long, coiled tube that lies above and behind each testicle).
Who Gets It
Men and women born between 1938 and 1971 whose mothers took DES while they were pregnant with them. Five to 10 million people are thought to have been exposed to DES in utero.
How It Affects Fertility (And Pregnancy)
Research has confirmed that women exposed to DES in the womb are at increased risk for clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA), a rare kind of vaginal and cervical cancer, as well as structural abnormalities of the reproductive tract (such as a T-shaped uterus, a malformed cervix, or blocked tubes), pregnancy complications, such as ectopic (tubal) pregnancy and pre-term delivery, and infertility
Treatment
Anyone who knows or suspects that their mothers took DES while pregnant with them should notify their physicians so that they can be closely monitored for cancer, and advised on how to proceed with conception and pregnancy.
Pregnancy Prognosis
Women who have been exposed to DES should be monitored carefully throughout pregnancy. An ultrasound exam at around seven weeks can determine that the pregnancy is in the uterus, rather than in the fallopian tube (an ectopic pregnancy).
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