DES

DES was not banned from livestock use until 1979, meaning anyone born before that year was likely exposed through conventionally raised meat and poultry. Between 1940 and 1971, millions of women were prescribed DES during pregnancy; it was later banned after being found both ineffective and harmful. The largest use of DES was in livestock production as a growth promoter, not in human medicine. DES affects multiple components of the endocrine system, including the thyroid, ovaries, testes, and pancreas. DES caused miscarriages not only in directly exposed women but also in their daughters and granddaughters, demonstrating multigenerational endocrine disruption.