06. The Contraceptive (Dalkon Shield)
Swindled
00:00
The Dalcon Shield: A History
A.H. Robbins sold unsterilized versions of the device to cut costs. The company didn't issue a recall until 1976, two years after sales in America had ceased. Out of the 769,000 shields that had been distributed in foreign countries, fewer than half were returned. Foreign aid workers have reported that you can walk into medical facilities in some small African villages today and find Dalcon Shields waiting to be inserted.
Transcript
Play full episode
