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Diethylstilbestrol lawsuit ends the use of this synthetic form of estrogen.

1971

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RHRR

Brought to the market in late 1938 after minimal experimentation, diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a hormone treatment believed to “ease” the pain of pregnancy. Even after this claim was found to be bogus in the 1950s, doctors continued to prescribe it, viewing pregnancy as a “disease” that can be "treated." After years of protest against its use, the link between DES and a higher rate of cervical cancer is proven, and the drug is removed from the market.