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The Link Between Depo-Provera and Meningiomas
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What is Depo-Provera?
Depo-Provera, also known as the “birth control shot,” is a contraceptive injection given every 12 weeks to prevent pregnancy. Like IUDs and arm implants, it’s made with a synthetic hormone called progestin. The Depo shot’s generic name is medroxyprogesterone acetate.
Though some women were prescribed off-label versions of Depo-Provera during the 1980s, the FDA officially approved the shot for birth control use in 1992. It’s designed to be up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, but only if each injection is received on-time.
As shown on the warning label, receiving Depo-Provera injections could cause one or more of the following side effects:
- Bone density loss (osteoporosis)
- Unintended weight gain
- Thrombosis (blood clots)
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Irregular menstrual cycles (spotting)
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Depression
- Decreased libido
How is Depo-Provera linked to meningiomas?
Typically found in the brain, a meningioma is a common type of tumor that’s usually not cancerous, and therefore benign. However, meningiomas can still cause life-threatening complications in certain scenarios—like pressing against the brain, if they grow too large.
Researchers have been investigating the link between synthetic progestins like Depo-Provera and an increased risk of meningiomas since at least 1983. But recently, a landmark study found substantial evidence linking the Depo shot to an increased risk of meningiomas.
In 2024, The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) found that Depo-Provera could make women up to 5.6 times more likely to develop a meningioma in their lifetimes. The risk was highest for women who used the Depo shot long-term, for at least 2 years or more.
Pfizer, the manufacturer of Depo-Provera, released a public statement about The BMJ’s findings shortly after the study was published:
“We are aware of this potential risk associated with long-term use of progestogens and, in collaboration with regulatory agencies, are in the process of updating product labels and patient information leaflets with appropriate wording.”
Interestingly, Pfizer never denied how the Depo shot could cause meningiomas. In fact, the official Depo-Provera product label has now been updated to include a warning about potential meningioma risks, as of December 2025.
Other studies linking Depo to meningiomas
Later that year, another study was published in the oncology journal Cancers, finding that Depo users may be 68% more likely to develop an intracranial meningioma. The risk, according to researchers, may also increase the longer Depo-Provera is used.
Then in 2025, a third study published in JAMA Neurology discovered similar evidence as the previous two studies. Based on the study’s findings, women over 31 years old who used Depo for at least four years could be up to 143% more likely to be diagnosed with a meningioma.
Join the Depo-Provera lawsuit
If you or a family member were diagnosed with a meningioma or another brain tumor in 2000 or later after receiving Depo-Provera injections for at least 6 months, you may be eligible for a settlement.
Ready to file a claim ?
See if you qualify for the Depo-Provera lawsuit.
Referenced Articles
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, December). DEPO-PROVERA CI (medroxyprogesterone acetate) injectable suspension, for intramuscular use. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/020246s074lbl021583s045lbl.pdf
- Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1992, November 12). FDA gives final approval to Depo amid concerns over safety, cost and coercion. Washington Memo, (17), 2–3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12344620/
View more sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2026, April 30). Meningioma. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningioma/symptoms-causes/syc-20355643
- Blankenstein, M.A., Blauuw, G., Lamberts, S.W.G., Mulder, E. (1983, March 19). Presence of progesterone receptors and absence of oestrogen receptors in human intracranial meningioma cytosols. European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology, 19(3), 365-370. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0277537983901347
- Roland, N., Neumann A., et al. (2024, March 27). Use of progestogens and the risk of intracranial meningioma: National case-control study. BMJ, 384(8423). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-078078
- Sample, I. (2024, March 27). Hormone medication could increase risk of brain tumours, French study finds. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/27/hormone-medication-brain-tumours-risk-progestogens-study
- Griffin, R.L., (2024, September 30). The Association between Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Exposure and Meningioma. Cancers, 16(19), 3362. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-078078
- Xiao, T., Kumar, P., Lobbus, M., et al. (2024, September 30). Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Risk of Meningioma in the US. JAMA Neurology, 82(11), 1094-1102. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3011
About the Depo-Provera Lawsuit
Products at-risk
Depo-Provera injectable birth control
Who's being sued?
Pfizer Inc.
Which illnesses are eligible?
- Meningiomas
- Benign Brain Tumors
- Malignant Brain Tumors
