The Controversial Birth Control That Destroys Your Body

Jessica Smith's unedited, angry comment is still on the FDA's website, much to her surprise. "You had an opportunity to remove Essure from the market. You blew it," it reads. Despite complaints from women who say they've experienced painful and severe side effects such as constant cramping, still births, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages from the sterilization implant Essure, the Food and Drug Administration has so far allowed drug maker Bayer AG to continue to selling its product.

"Like all forms of birth control, Essure is not perfect and women may become pregnant despite use of the device," Dr. William Maisel, the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health director, said in a statement. Due to multiple lawsuits regarding Essure and a recent congressional investigation, the FDA announced in February that it would place a "black box" warning on Essure and order Bayer AG to conduct more safety studies on the device.