DES (diethylstilbestrol) was the first synthetic estrogen to be created (1938). See DES Timeline. Years later, Sir E. Charles Dodds was knighted for his accomplishment. Never patented, DES was marketed using hundreds of brand names in the mistaken belief it prevented miscarriages and premature deliveries.

DES was prescribed between 1938 and 1971 (but not limited to those years). It was considered the standard of care for problem pregnancies from the late 1940s well into the 1960s in the U.S. and was widely prescribed during that time. DES was sometimes even included in prenatal vitamins so there are many individuals who were not actually prescribed DES but were exposed to it anyway.

In April 1971 the FDA told doctors to stop using DES for their pregnant patients, however it was not banned then. Specifically, the FDA said DES was contraindicated for pregnancy use. In some rare cases American doctors either didn’t hear of, or simply ignored the message and continued prescribing DES into the 1970s. Internationally, DES use during pregnancy continued for many subsequent years.

The Federal Register of September 13, 2000 contains a notice withdrawing approval of DES effective September 30, 2000. The companies that had made DES told the FDA they no longer marketed it and wanted approval to do so withdrawn. And so it was - which banned human use of DES in the U.S. (better late than never). However, it is still successfully used for veterinary purposes.

In the United States, an estimated 5–10 million people were exposed to DES, including women who were prescribed DES while pregnant and their children born during this time.

As an aside, DES had also been used for non-pregnancy health issues. They included, but are not limited to, drying up breast milk, treating acne, prostate cancer treatment, and as a palliative during end-stage breast cancer to soften painful tumors. Other drugs have since been found to work better.

Finally, in a misguided and another tragic use of DES, it (and sometimes another hormone, ethinyl estradiol) were given to teens to prevent them from growing into tall adults. The result is that these so-called "Tall Girls" often report infertility problems. There is a concern they may experience an increased risk for cancers. This use of DES was primarily in Australia, some parts of the U.S., and in several European countries.