Popular Birth Control Is Linked to Brain Tumors — As Over 1,000 Women Sue Pfizer Over Health Risks

Women who use Depo-Provera face a higher risk of developing a slow-growing brain tumor, according to a new study that comes as the contraceptive’s maker, Pfizer, faces hundreds of lawsuits claiming that it was aware of the potential risks.

Depo-Provera — the brand name for depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) — contains the synthetic progestin hormone, which stops the ovaries from releasing an egg to prevent pregnancy.

The injections, used by roughly 1 in 4 sexually active US women at some point, last about three months.

For the new study, researchers examined over 61 million female patient records, finding that women who used DMPA had a twofold higher risk of getting diagnosed with meningioma compared to women not on hormonal birth control.

Meningioma is typically benign, but the tumors can cause problems by putting pressure on nerves or brain structures. The disease affects women more frequently than men, likely due to the influence of female hormones that can fuel tumor growth. (Read more from “Popular Birth Control Is Linked to Brain Tumors — As Over 1,000 Women Sue Pfizer Over Health Risks” HERE)