December 8, 2020 — The number of women alleging that their Paragard IUDs broke off inside of them during their removal is not slowing, but rather increasing at an alarming rate. Those affected by the allegedly defective IUDs claim that Teva Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer, failed to warn both them and their doctors about the risk of the IUD breaking during its removal.
The T-shaped arms of the device are claimed to become hard and brittle over time instead of maintaining their flexibility, becoming prone to snapping off when a doctor pulls out the IUD according to Teva’s instructions. Because of the fragments left inside of the women, many have sustained injuries and have been forced to undergo additional procedures to retrieve the parts according to lawsuits. In some cases, the additional procedures caused injuries as well.
In the pending case of a Minnesota plaintiff, she had her Paragard implanted in July 2017 because “she wanted a form of birth control that was reversible and would allow her to conceive in the future,” New York Injury Law News reported, citing her lawsuit. When her doctor removed the IUD in November 2018, however, she claims that “the Paragard broke apart and had to be removed in various pieces,” causing the woman “significant bodily injuries,” an outcome that she claims neither she nor her doctor had been warned was a risk.
There are currently 55 cases pending nationwide against the Paragard IUD manufacturers, including Teva Pharmaceuticals, with hundreds more anticipated to be filed in coming months, Law News reported.
Reference: Frishberg, Hannah. “Paragard Iuds Break Apart and Cause Infection, Infertility: Suit.” New York Post, New York Post, 8 Dec. 2020, nypost.com/2020/12/08/paragard-iuds-break-apart-cause-infection-infertility-suit/
