This year, a groundbreaking study published in the British Medical Journal found that the popular birth control, Depo-Provera is associated with an increased risk of developing non-cancerous brain tumors. The study has alarming implications for users of Depo-Provera which has been on the market since the 1990s. According to the authors of the study, nearly 74 million use Depo-Provera and may be at risk of developing meningiomas.

If you or a loved one have used Depo-Provera and subsequently developed a meningioma as a result, you may be eligible to file a products liability lawsuit against the manufacturers of the birth control. Even if you have not been diagnosed with a meningioma, you should still closely monitor yourself for any symptoms of a meningioma and speak with an attorney immediately to discuss your rights.

New York Mass Tort Attorneys at the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm have significant experience representing clients who’ve wrongfully developed injuries or health issues as a result of a manufacturer’s failure to properly test new drugs or devices, properly disclose side effects of drugs or devices, or decision to release defective products into the market.

Call the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm today for a free consultation.

What is Depo-Provera?

Depo-Provera is the brand name for medroxyprogesterone acetate, which is a contraceptive injection that contains the hormone progestin. The drug is usually administered every three months through a 150 mg/1 mL intramuscular injection. Some women prefer using Depo-Provera to other forms of birth control because it does not require a daily dosage and does not contain estrogen.

Like most forms of birth control, Depo-Provera can cause side effects including loss of bone mineral density, abdominal pain, bloating, decreased libido, depression, dizziness, headaches, bleeding, weakness and fatigue, or weight gain. Manufacturers of the drug also note that Depo-Provera should not be used as a long-term birth control for longer than two years unless other forms of birth control are considered inadequate.

Although Depo-Provera includes a warning for the symptoms listed above, there is no mention of the increased risk of meningioma associated with the drug, meaning that many women may be using the drug without knowledge of all of its side effects.

Study Shows Depo-Provera Associated with Increased Risk of Meningiomas

Recently, the British Medical Journal conducted an observational study with over 100,000 women living in France who underwent surgery for an intracranial meningioma between 2009 and 2018. The study found that there is an association between prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate injection and the risk of intracranial meningioma requiring surgery. These findings are particularly alarming because meningiomas can lead to debilitating symptoms, and surgery to remove the tumor is involves the risk of life-threatening complications.

According to the study, more than one in five sexually active women in the United States reported having used injected medroxyprogesterone acetate, otherwise known as Depo-Provera. The authors of the study stated that in countries that have high numbers of medroxyprogesterone acetate use, “the number of meningiomas attributable to this progestogen may be potentially high.”

Most meningioma’s grow very slowly and may not show symptoms for years, however, it is important to monitor your health for any unusual symptoms if you’ve ever received a Depo-Provera injection. Symptoms may include,

• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Hearing loss
• Memory loss
• Loss of smell

If the meningioma grows, it may press on brain tissue, nerves, and vessels, leading to more severe symptoms such as seizures, trouble speaking, or weakness. A meningioma can be diagnosed using a CT scan or MRI, and treatment will likely depend on the size of the meningioma but may require surgery or radiation if the tumor grows.

New York Depo-Provera Attorneys

If you or a loved one have ever used Depo-Provera, speak with an experienced Mass Tort Attorney at the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm immediately to discuss your rights. Lawsuits are currently being filed against the manufactures on behalf of women who’ve used Depo-Provera birth control injections and have developed meningioma’s as a result.

Eli Fuchsberg of the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm has experience representing individuals who have been wrongfully injured due to defective drugs and devices, including being appointed to the Plaintiffs Leadership Counsel for Exactech Product Liability Litigation. We can help you recover compensation for your injuries and future medical expenses.

At the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm, we can file a product liability lawsuit against the manufactures of Depo-Provera for failing to properly test and disclose the risk of developing a meningioma while using their birth control. Manufactures of Depo-Provera may have known or should have known that there was an increased risk of developing a meningioma given that the drug has been on the market for nearly 30 years.

No one should ever be wrongfully put at risk of developing an injury due to a drug manufacture’s failure to properly test and warn its consumers. Contact the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm today for a free consultation.

We can help when the unimaginable happens.

References

Roland N, Neumann A, Hoisnard L, Duranteau L, Froelich S, Zureik M et al. Use of progestogens and the risk of intracranial meningioma: national case-control study BMJ 2024; 384 :e078078 doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-078078

‍