Controversial Birth Control Debate Reaches Congress

U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA, 8th District) announced legislation on the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the permanent sterilization device Essure.

The 'E-Free Act' is legislation to remove the product from the market.

Essure is a permanent sterilization device for women produced by Bayer. The medical device is a nickel-based metal coil designed to be inserted in the Fallopian tube and cause tissue scarring, blocking eggs from moving through the tube and preventing conception.

Thousands of women said they've had problems after being fitted with it, from allergies to the metal used to severe abdominal pain.

Natalie Masters said she got the device after doctors told her it was a much better alternative to standard surgery to block or "tie" the Fallopian tubes.

Symptoms that her body was rejecting the device started immediately, she said.

“Chronic fatigue came. I lost a lot of hair,” said Masters.

She also said she suffers neurological symptoms, as well, like being unable to comprehend paragraphs.

Nearly 25,000 women have joined a Facebook group to discuss Essure and the issues they’ve experienced.

“I feel like when you have 24,000 people, I feel like they have to listen to us,” said Masters.

According to NBC News, a new study appears to confirm what some women have said about the permanent birth control device.

Researchers found that women who used the device had 10 times as many operations to fix problems as women who had surgery instead.

Bayer said it believes the device is safe for most women.

"Over a decade of research and development and a decade of real world experience supports the safety and efficacy of Essure. The findings of the BMJ [British Medical Journal] article published on October 13, 2015 further support the established high efficacy rate of Essure," Bayer said in a statement to NBC News.

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