- Former Love Island contestant Maxwell Samuda is the first man to publicly link his health issues, including reproductive problems, to the pregnancy drug Diethylstilbestrol (DES) taken by his grandmother in the 1970s.
- His mother, Natalie Samuda, 50, and grandmother, Maureen Day, 78, also believe their health conditions, such as breast cancer and autoimmune issues, are connected to DES exposure.
- DES, a synthetic oestrogen, was given to approximately 300,000 women from the 1940s to 1970s to prevent miscarriage, but was later linked to various cancers and reproductive abnormalities.
- Despite US regulators advising against its use in pregnant women in 1971, DES continued to be prescribed in Europe until the late 1970s.
- The family is backing calls from campaign group DES Justice UK (DJUK) for a full public inquiry, a compensation scheme, and an NHS screening programme for those affected by DES.
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