['The safety of silicone breast implants recently has been questioned. Increasing numbers of women have reported a variety of health problems that they attribute to their implants. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explicate the phenomenon of silicone-related illness as reported by women who have had breast implants.', 'A qualitative design was grounded in the theoretical framework proposed by McBride and McBride (1981), the core of which is the first-person, lived experiences of women as interpreted and explained by the women themselves.', 'Participants were recruited through Command Trust Network, an international support group for women with breast implant problems. The sample consisted of 55 women from 19 states and Canada who experienced health problems they attributed to their implants. Eighteen percent labeled themselves as disabled.', 'Themes emerging from responses to 10 questions are discussed in terms of circumstances leading to initial implantation, understanding risks and benefits, health problems and symptoms, physician response, choices made about implant removal, and psychosocial and emotional consequences.'] Do women 's reports of breast implant problems and silicone-related illness?