Journal article
From Local to Global: Resolving Uncertainty about the Safety of DES in Menopause
Research in the sociology of health care, v 11, pp 41-56
01 Jan 1994
Abstract
Correspondence between health professionals about the use of the synthetic estrogen DES (diethylstilbestrol) & 54 expert questionnaires submitted to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) prior to the 1941 approval of DES are used to explore uncertainty, contingency, & cross purposes in medical science. DES was the first controversial, nonlifesaving drug approved by the newly created FDA, which decided that there existed good enough evidence of its safety. Prior to approval for treating menopause & vaginitis, DES was controversial due to questions of liver damage & dosage determination. These uncertainties were overcome by construction of evidence, avoidance, reformulation of the questionnaires, & cooperation. DES later proved to be toxic & iatrogenic. The case of DES illustrates that medical science is an uncertain enterprise, drug approval is shaped by the political economy, & science is used to serve the political & intellectual interests of medicine. 35 References. Adapted from the source document.
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Details
- Title
- From Local to Global: Resolving Uncertainty about the Safety of DES in Menopause
- Creators
- Susan Bell
- Publication Details
- Research in the sociology of health care, v 11, pp 41-56
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Sociology
- Other Identifier
- 991020638378604721