Dalkon Shield: The Birth Control Device That Changed Women’s Health and Legal History

When the Dalkon Shield, a widely used intrauterine device in the 1970s that became infamous for causing severe infections and reproductive harm. Also known as the Dalkon Shield IUD, it was marketed as a safe, long-term contraceptive—but its design flaws turned it into one of the worst medical disasters in U.S. history. More than 200,000 women used it. Over 20 died from septic abortions linked to the device. Thousands suffered permanent infertility. And the company that made it knew—early on—that the braided string could pull bacteria into the uterus.

The Dalkon Shield wasn’t just a faulty product. It exposed how women’s health was treated as secondary. Doctors ignored early warnings. Regulators moved too slowly. Insurance companies denied claims. Women were blamed for their own injuries. The device became a symbol of how medical innovation, when unchecked by accountability, can turn into harm. Its legacy forced Congress to pass the Medical Device Amendments of 1976, giving the FDA real power to regulate implants. It also led to one of the largest mass tort cases in American history, with over 300,000 claims filed against A.H. Robins Company.

Today, modern IUDs are safer, more effective, and rigorously tested—but the Dalkon Shield still haunts reproductive healthcare. It’s why doctors now ask detailed questions before inserting devices. Why women demand transparency about risks. Why lawsuits over contraceptive failures still shape policy. The pain caused by this one device didn’t just change laws—it changed how women speak up, how they trust doctors, and how they fight for control over their own bodies.

Below, you’ll find articles that explore the broader history of birth control, medical exploitation, and the fight for reproductive autonomy—from Victorian-era quack remedies to modern IVF protocols. The Dalkon Shield didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the product of a system that silenced women for decades. These stories show how that silence is finally breaking.