The lawyers at Harrison Davis Morrison Jones have represented clients injured by dangerous drugs for many years. Partner Justin Presnal was recently appointed to help lead the national litigation on behalf of women who developed brain tumors after using Depo-Provera.[1]
What is Depo-Provera?
Depo-Provera is a long-acting birth control injection typically given every three months. Approved by the FDA in 1992, it contains a high dose of a synthetic hormone called medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), which prevents pregnancy by suppressing ovulation. Nearly 1 in 4 sexually active women in the U.S. have used this contraceptive at some point.[2]
The Brain Tumor Connection
Recent medical studies have revealed a concerning link between Depo-Provera use and a type of brain tumor called a “meningioma.” These tumors grow in the thin layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord.
A study published in the March 2024 British Medical Journal found that long-term Depo-Provera use increases the risk of intracranial meningioma by 555% — almost a sixfold increase in risk.[3]
How Does This Happen?
The connection stems from how the drug works in the body:
- High hormone levels: Depo-Provera floods the body with high levels of progestin (synthetic progesterone).
- Tumor receptors: Meningioma tumors often have progesterone receptors, meaning they respond to this hormone’s signals.
- Fuel for growth: The synthetic hormone can act like fuel for certain brain tumors, especially in women already at risk.
What Are the Symptoms?
Even though these tumors are typically benign (non-cancerous), they can still be dangerous because they can grow and press on parts of the brain, causing:
- Severe headaches
- Vision problems
- Memory loss
- Seizures
- Personality changes
- Weakness
Some women require invasive brain surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and ongoing neurological care. Because these tumors can be slow-growing, women may not experience symptoms until significant damage has already occurred, and often many years after receiving Depo-Provera injections.
The Depo-Provera Warning Label Problem
Here’s what makes this situation particularly troubling: women in the United States were never warned about this risk. Healthcare regulators in other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and even South Africa have required Pfizer to warn about the risk of meningiomas for many years, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not.[4]
Current Legal Action
More than 500 lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer in the federal court appointed to oversee the Depo-Provera litigation. The lawsuits allege that these companies:
- Knew about the brain tumor risks
- Failed to adequately warn patients and healthcare providers in the United States
- Designed Depo-Provera in a way that made it unreasonably dangerous
- Prioritized profits over patient safety
Historical Context
This isn’t the first time Depo-Provera has raised ethical concerns. The drug has a troubling history of being pushed on vulnerable populations – particularly low-income women and women of color – often without proper informed consent. In the 1960s, roughly 11,400 women in Atlanta received Depo-Provera injections as part of clinical trials run by Upjohn (now Pfizer), with many not being told about potential risks including permanent sterilization.[5]
What This Means for Women
If you ever received Depo-Provera injections and were later diagnosed with a brain tumor, you should contact us as soon as possible. There are strict time limits on when a lawsuit may be filed, and if you do not act in time you may not be able to recover for your injuries.
Even if you have not been diagnosed with a brain tumor, if you used Depo-Provera, especially for extended periods or multiple injections, and are experiencing symptoms like persistent headaches, vision changes, or other neurological issues, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider about screening for meningiomas. The key issue in these cases is that many women say they were never warned about these risks. Had they known, they could have:
- Chosen a different form of birth control
- Been screened for early detection
- Made informed decisions about their health
The Bigger Picture
This situation highlights broader concerns about pharmaceutical accountability and the need for complete transparency in drug labeling. It also raises questions about regulatory oversight, especially given that other countries recognized and acted on these risks years before any action was taken in the United States.
For the millions of women who have used or are currently using Depo-Provera, this case represents not just individual health concerns, but a fight for the right to make fully informed decisions about their reproductive health care.
- In re: Depo-Provera (Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) Products Liability Litigation, No. 3:25-md-3140-MCR-HTC; In the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida; Pretrial Order No. 18 (ECF No. 180).
- Daniels K, Abma JC. Contraceptive Methods Women Have Ever Used:United States, 2015-2019. Natl Health Stat Report. 2023 Dec;(195):1-18. PMID: 38170816.
- Roland N, et al., Oral contraceptives with progestogens desogestrel or levonorgestrel and risk of intracranial meningioma: national case-control study. BMJ. 2025 Jun 11;389:e083981. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2024-083981. PMID: 40500141; PMCID: PMC12153057.
- See https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/020246s068lbl.pdf (accessed 24 July 2025).
- Green, William, “The Grady Hospital Study: The Corruption of Contraceptive Research”, Contraceptive Risk: The FDA, Depo-Provera, and the Politics of Experimental Medicine (New York, NY, 2017; online edn, NYU Press Scholarship Online, 18 Jan. 2018), https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9781479876990.003.0002, accessed 24 July 2025.
