Men Also Received Contaminated Silicone Implants from PIP

I was surprised to learn yesterday that the French implants causing a scare all over Europe and South America are not just in women -- apparently PIP made testicular and male pectoral implants as well. 

I have to give credit to Clarence D., medical director at a Swiss medispa, for bringing this up on our Facebook page.   Of course now that I know, it doesn't seem that shocking.  But since all the news coverage has focused on the hundreds of thousands of women with these potentially toxic implants, I didn't even give thought to what other types there might have been.

According to The Telegraph, the male implants were made for exportation, likely to Latin America.  As a coworker pointed out, one of the saddest things about this news is knowing that most of those testicular implants were for cancer patients. 

Of course I think it's upsetting that anyone received these devices, cancer or no cancer.  But I can only imagine the feeling you have when you think something is a safe treatment option because it's government-approved, only to find out it could seriously damage your body.  (Jezebel disagrees -- they consider all the women that got PIP implants as a result of wanting bigger boobs "skanks" and "bimbos").

It seems like we can't go a week without hearing some new, disturbing information about this scandal. 

Other recent developments:

• Fuel additives were discovered as part of the non-medical silicone used in the implants.
• Total number affected is estimated at close to half a million.
• UK is calling for a review of the cosmetic surgery industry as a result

Photo credit: Ryan Stanton, MD (not a photo of PIP implants)