NuvaRing caused my daughter’s death. Like so many women, she had no idea of the risks | Karen Langhart

After Erika’s death I was horrified that hormonal contraceptives are widely used by women who believe there is no alternative. Only by sharing honest information can we save lives

I cannot describe how much my husband and I were looking forward to our daughter Erika’s trip home to Arizona from Washington DC for Thanksgiving. When I saw her name come up on my phone the Monday before, I answered with joy: “We can’t wait to see you, Schmoo Bear” (what we had called her since she was a baby). But it was not Erika on the other end of the phone; instead it was her boyfriend, Sean. This is how our nightmare began.

We never had a chance to talk to Erika again. Our beautiful, caring, full of life, daughter, only just 24, had collapsed in her apartment, and had two heart attacks in the ambulance on the way to hospital. A doctor called to say we needed to get there as soon as possible. We took a flight at midnight and arrived by her side on Tuesday morning, but she was still in a coma.

Related: Birth control: share your experiences of hormonal contraception

In our opinion, Merck got away with murder

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