A recent lawsuit filed by numerous women claimed that contraceptive injection Depo-Provera causes brain tumors. The shot is made by Pfizer, a major New York-based pharmaceutical company known for producing vaccines and other widely used medicines.

Depo-Provera uses a hormone called medroxyprogesterone acetate to prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation. 

It is given every three months instead of being consumed daily like a birth control pill. Some of the other options include patches, intrauterine devices, vaginal rings and condoms. 

The lawsuit claimed that the U.S. pharmaceutical company did not warn women and doctors about an increased risk of developing brain tumors when the injection is used for more than a year. 

Robin Phillip, a plaintiff from Louisiana, suffered from what she brushed off as migraines for years until a doctor’s appointment in 2018 revealed that her headaches were a symptom of a tumor pressing on her brain. 

After driving herself to the hospital in pain, Phillip received the startling news and was told that she needed emergency surgery.

Phillip took Depo-Provera every three months for almost 30 years and only stopped when she had her children. She believes that the birth control was to blame for her tumor.

Phillip is also one of over 1,000 women suing Pfizer for failing to inform the injection users about the risks of the drug. 

According to a 2023 health statistics report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, higher percentages of Hispanic and African American women have used Depo-Provera in their lifetime, with Hispanic women representing 27.2% of users and African American women representing 41.2%.

Some patients have also reported loss of bone density alongside tumors. 

According to Sokolove Law, other side effects of the injection could include headaches, vision or hearing loss, mood changes, seizures and more. 

All lawsuits related to these claims are being handled by Northern District of Florida Judge Margaret Rodgers, and numerous firms are currently representing the involved individuals. 

According to a report published by Levin Law Firm on Oct. 6, there were 435 active cases in the Depo-Provera multidistrict litigation in July. As of Oct. 20, the number of active cases was over 1,300. 

Recent studies have shown a link between Depo-Provera and meningioma. A 2025 study published in peer-reviewed journal JAMA Neurology found that women who used Depo-Provera were about 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with meningioma than those who did not use it. 

The risk was higher for women who took it for more than four years or started after the age of 31.

Another BMJ study supported this hypothesis, showing a higher risk of meningioma among long-term Depo-Provera users.

Earlier research from the 1980s suggested that progesterone exposure might provoke tumor growth. 

Today, doctors generally agree that while the connection is significant, these studies cannot prove that Depo-Provera directly causes the tumors because researchers only reviewed existing medical records and did not conduct any experiments. 

Despite the claims, meningioma is also very rare and overall developmental risk remains low. Dr. Colleen Denny, an OB-GYN at New York University Langone, confirmed that meningioma is rare and said that the risk among Depo-Provera users remains “incredibly low.”

There is also a trade-off, as endometrial cancer, a type of uterine cancer, is more common, and the contraceptive significantly reduces and protects against it. 

To avoid liability, Pfizer claimed that preemptive law would not allow the override of conflicting state laws. 

According to The Guardian, “Pfizer argues that it tried to have a tumor warning attached to the drug’s label but this was rejected by the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration.”

Health, lifestyle and family plans are determine how long someone stays on birth control. Some women use it for a few years, while others use it for longer.

Dr. David Raleigh, a radiation oncologist at the University of California, said progesterone-linked tumors are more common in women. 

“All the available data suggest that progesterone is fuel on the fire,” he said. “Progesterone didn’t necessarily start the fire, but the available data suggest that it’s like dumping gas on it.”

Raleigh said the new findings strengthened the need to be careful and also advised women with meningiomas to avoid any hormone-based birth control.

Dr. Nisha Verma, a gynecologist at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, also said the overall risk was still very low — about five in 10,000 Depo-Provera users compared to one in 10,000 nonusers. She emphasized that patients should not stop taking the shot abruptly and discuss available options with their doctors.

Although the studies show a link between Depo-Provera and meningioma, they do not prove that the shot directly causes brain tumors. 

The findings currently show that the two appear connected but require more research to confirm any direct link. Until then, experts say the results should encourage more awareness.