Dalkon Shield

Common card · No. 294991

The Dalkon Shield was a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) developed by the Dalkon Corporation and marketed by the A.H. Robins Company. First marketed in 1971, it was promoted as a safer alternative to birth control pills and was used by about 2.2 million women in the United States at its peak. The device was associated with an increased risk of septic abortion and other severe infections, largely because its multifilament tail string could allow bacteria to pass through the cervix into the uterus. Sales were suspended in the United States in 1974 at the urging of the Food and Drug Administration, although the device continued to be marketed internationally for several years. More than 327,000 lawsuits and claims were filed against A.H. Robins over the Dalkon Shield, making it one of the largest product-liability cases in U.S. history. The resulting litigation led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1985 and contributed to the passage of the 1976 Medical Device...

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