Definition

A female who was exposed before birth to a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen called diethylstilbestrol (DES) because their mother took DES while pregnant with them. DES was prescribed for some pregnant women between about 1940 and 1971 because it was thought to prevent miscarriage, premature labor, and other complications related to pregnancy. It was stopped in 1971 due to medical problems that were seen in the children of women who took it. DES daughters were found to have an increased risk of precancerous lesions in the cervix and clear cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix or vagina. DES daughters may also have an increased risk of breast cancer, pancreatic cancer or other pancreatic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Other health problems that may have affected DES daughters include early menopause, fertility and pregnancy problems, and structural changes in the female reproductive tract.