Many women have a Paragard implanted which is at or near its life expectancy. The device was originally approved for six years of use but was extended to ten years. Some treating doctors will even allow for longer use. Paragard removal is supposed to be a quick and easy non-surgical procedure but, for thousands of women, this was not the case.
According to Paragard’s product literature, the procedure is the following:
- Doctor determines the position of the uterus and uses a speculum to open the vaginal walls
- Next the doctor will locate the strings of the IUD and pull them down slowly using forceps
- The T-shaped arms of the device are supposed to fold up together as it is sliding out through the cervix
This is how easy removal is meant to be but for many women the story is different. Due to the poor manufacture of the devices many Paragard IUDs are prone to breakage at the “arms” of the device when being removed. Due to lack of flexibility in the plastic instead of folding up, the arms stay open and break often perforating nearby organs and requiring surgery for removal. In 2019, new warnings were buried in the product information but this would only be seen by doctors, and all previous users would never have known about this.
The makers of Paragard Teva Pharmaceutical failed to warn women about the IUD’s propensity to break when being removed. It was not until they received a warning from the FDA in 2019 that they documented the risk.
Still, it is too late for that. Thousands of women have suffered a great deal due to the defective product and lack of warning.
It has been discovered that Paragard has higher breakage rates than other IUD products, is unsafe and the companies who made it violated safety and quality controls.
Have you or someone close to you been harmed by a Paragard IUD? We at Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman LLP are currently helping clients in the Paragard litigation throughout the country. Our firm offers you the advice and communication you require to find comfort during this challenging time. Please contact us today online or by telephone at (212) 684-1880 to speak with an experienced nationwide medical device lawyer. Our law office is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan at 551 5th Ave.
