D . E . S . : An Uncertain Legacy
A National Film Board Studio "D" Production.
Executive Producer: Kathleen Shannon.

Directed by Bonnie Andrukaitis (Speaking Our Peace, Behind the Veil: Nuns), this film is an hour-long documentary which exposes the truths about D.E.S. (Diethylstilbestrol) "the wonder drug you should wonder about". The drug, a synthetic estrogen was given primarily to pregnant women who had a history of miscarriages between 1941 and 1971. Since then, many of the offspring of D.E.S. mothers have been discovering reproductive and genital abnormalities, possible infertility, and cancer.

The film dwells primarily on Montrealer Harriet Simand who discovered in 1981, at age twenty, that she had a rare form of genital cancer, linked to the drug her mother had taken. It relates the struggles of Harriet and her mother to educate the public about D.E.S. and to support other victims. The film also explores the lives of other D.E.S. victims through their own moving words about their pain, both physical and emotional.

Professionals, such as Dr. Sidney Wolfe, U.S. consumer health advocate, are interviewed, bringing up interesting questions regarding health care. Issues are raised about women's right to access of medical information; the responsibilities of the drug companies, the medical profession and the government for consumer protection, and the morality of all concerned.

Harriet Simand
Harriet Simand

D.E.S. is still in use today in estrogen - replacement therapy, as a "morning-after" pill, as a fertility drug, and as a lactation suppressant for new mothers. It has been, and still probably continues to be, used to fatten cattle and chickens, as a growth stimulant in general, and is still widely in use in Third World Countries.

It is important that those who have been exposed to D.E.S. undergo a special gynecological examination. Many doctors refuse to disclose the fact that they prescribed D.E.S. for their patients. So, finding out if one has been exposed to the drug is a difficult task. In many cases, legal action has been necessary.

The film provides a large amount of critical information which has not been made public before. It examines the subject historically, with an interesting dispassionate approach. It will be released Canada-wide in October and November 1985, and will also be available for private screenings.
Reviewed by Viviane Carson



Back Contents Next