The only permanent contraceptive on the market right now is coming under fire for what some women are calling life-changing side effects.
Essure is a product that has its supporters, including the manufacturer, Bayer Chemicals. But for many, including a New England woman, it's been a nightmare.
Melanie Goshgarian of Burlington, Massachusetts, keeps her home different than most. It's absolutely chemical-free - no regular household cleaners, no perfumes, no deodorants. She even had to find furniture without any metal zippers.
"I can't come in contact with any type of metal," she said. "I can't breathe near any chemicals."
Goshgarian says her extreme allergies only started after she had a procedure to implant Essure seven years ago.
"I slowly was poisoned for five years," Goshgarian said.
She says her whole body itched and ached, she couldn't control her nausea and, at times, she couldn't get out of bed to take care of her two young children.
Health
In 2013, Goshgarian was forced to have surgery to have the Essure titanium coils removed. Eventually, she needed a hysterectomy.
But Jennifer Jenkins of Texas, a mother of three, says she's an Essure success story.
"The only side effect I've had is that I have not been able to have children. That's what almost killed me" she said. "So it's been a huge, liberating experience for me."
Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania has introduced the "E-Free Act," which would ban Essure from the market.
