Woman tells contraceptive horror story: ‘Dying from inside out’

A woman has told of the horrific pain she suffered after having a contraceptive device implanted in her body.

Simonne Burford shared her story on Sunday night’s edition of 60 Minutes.

After the birth of her third child in 2008, Simonne was convinced by her doctor to take up Essure, a non-surgical option for permanent contraception instead of having her tubes tied.

Approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in 1999, the tiny metal coil inserted into each fallopian tube was supposed to generate enough scar tissue to close the tube and stop sperm from reaching an egg.

Clinical trials that initially focused on whether the device was effective in preventing pregnancy did not center on potential long-term harms.

“It was marketed as a quick fix; no downtime, painless, no side effects,” she told the program.

However, the mum of three said her pain was instant and she had “continual periods that didn’t stop”.

“You feel like you’re going to die, you feel like you’re dying from the inside out,” she said.

“It was probably the most painful experience I’ve ever had, including childbirth.

“I started having nausea, vomiting, I had metal taste in my mouth, one side of my face went numb.

“My hair started falling out in clumps, I would come out in a rash on my hands and my feet that was like a contact dermatitis, it was blisters.

“Passing blood clots the size of golf balls, continual periods that didn’t stop.”

When Simonne told her doctor she was suffering debilitating side effects, “he said it was in my head and referred me to mental health”.

It took six years for Simonne to find a doctor willing to remove the Essure devices from her fallopian tubes.

During the procedure, the doctor discovered that one of the devices had broken inside the young mum.

Only 36 years old at the time, Simonne was told she had the uterus of a 70-year-old. As a result, she had a hysterectomy.

Dr. Graeme Walker, head of gynecology at the Gold Coast University Hospital, said he felt a responsibility to help women who had received the birth control at his hospital, despite the lack of a recall.

Though he never inserted the implant himself, the physician performed 20 hysterectomies to remove the contraceptive devices.

“You had women who stated quite clearly that their life had been ruined, and we said, ‘All right, ultrasound, theatre, hysterectomy,’” he said.

“Then they would become better later in life.”

German pharmaceutical giant Bayer stopped selling Essure in 2017 for business reasons.

At that time, more than 16,000 complaints had been made to regulators in Australia and America combined. Since then, that number has now more than quadrupled.

In 2020, the company reached a $2.5 billion ($US 1.6 billion) settlement with 39,000 women in the US, without admitting wrongdoing or liability.

The organization is holding firm in Australia, determined to go to trial next year.

A Bayer spokeswoman told the Sydney Morning Herald that the corporation defends the product’s safety and efficacy.

“Reduced patient interest in permanent birth control options resulted in a commercial decision to discontinue the distribution of Essure,” the spokeswoman said.