Women worldwide have been taking Depo-Provera, a popular contraceptive injection, for decades, thinking that it is a safe medication. However, a medical study published in March this year in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) pointed to severe health consequences that the long-term administration of Depo-Provera can lead to. It can cause meningioma, a type of
brain tumor.
Why Depo-Provera is Harmful for Women
The active ingredient of this well-known contraceptive injection is medroxyprogesterone acetate, which contains the hormone progestin. Progestin is similar to the natural hormone progesterone. The researchers found that women who received medroxyprogesterone acetate for more than 12 months showed a 5.6-fold greater risk of developing meningioma.
What is Meningioma?
Meningioma is the most common type of brain tumor that requires surgical intervention. The tumors appear in the outer three layers of tissue between the skull and the brain that cover and protect the brain, called the meninges. Meningiomas are difficult to diagnose as they grow slowly and may exist for years before they are detected. The symptoms of the illness may also be very subtle in the early stages and intensify as the tumors grow and press on the brain or spinal cord. Depending on the size and exact location of the tumor, the symptoms may be headache, blurred vision, numbness, or less common ones such as loss of balance, hearing, or memory loss.
Meningioma is about three times more common in women than in men, and its causes are still not completely understood. The discovery linking medroxyprogesterone acetate to meningioma is extremely important as it not only advances health practitioners’ fight to understand the tumor but also points to the, until now overlooked, adverse health effects of Depo-Provera.
The manufacturer of Depo Provera is Pfizer, the American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. Following the medical study’s publishing, some questions have been raised regarding the product label, which does not mention some serious side effects the injection could have. While the product label mentions warnings for irregular vaginal
bleeding, weight gain, and abdominal pain, it fails to warn about side effects, such as blood clots and loss of bone density. The company needs to seriously and urgently reconsider the labeling and marketing of Depo-Provera.
Women’s health over financial interests
Depo Provera is advertised as a contraceptive injection. It prevents pregnancy and is given every three months. It is also prescribed to women who have gynecological conditions such as anemia, seizures, sickle cell disease, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids. It is also said to decrease menstrual cramps and pain and lessen menstrual blood flow. The above-mentioned groundbreaking study estimates that nearly 74 million women use Depo-Provera globally. This means that millions of women are exposed to the dangers of developing meningioma over time. It is every woman’s right to have appropriate, trustworthy, and comprehensive information about the medical choices they make.
Until substantial steps are taken to keep women safe, those who have been diagnosed with meningioma because of using the Depo-Provera injection may be eligible to file a legal claim to receive compensation from the manufacturer. Paralegal firms, such as Atraxia Law, accept claims from women who have been diagnosed with meningioma after using Depo-Provera. The two most important eligibility criteria for filing a claim are that the victim received at least two injections after 1992 and that she was diagnosed with meningioma after using the injections. Women in this situation seek assistance to make a claim.
About the author
Stan Gottfredson is President and CEO at Atraxia Law, a paralegal firm in San Diego, California, assisting cases of personal injuries.
