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Study Links Six Hormonal Birth Control Drugs to Higher Meningioma Risk
A Danish study of three million women found small increases in meningioma risk among users of Depo-Provera and five other hormonal contraceptives. Absolute risk remained low and declined after stopping use.
Jul 12, 3:09 PM·1m read1 source
New York PostAudio version
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A study published in JAMA Network Open examined 25 years of health records from roughly three million women and found elevated meningioma risk linked to six hormonal contraceptives. Depo-Provera showed the strongest association, with a four-fold relative increase. Five other medications containing desogestrel, drospirenone, gestodene, and levonorgestrel produced smaller 1.5-fold increases.
The absolute risk stayed low.
Lifetime meningioma incidence rose from five to six cases per 1,000 women among medroxyprogesterone users. The added risk disappeared within five years after stopping the drugs. Meningiomas are typically benign but can press on nerves or brain structures. They occur more than twice as often in women as in men.
One plaintiff reported severe headaches and underwent multiple surgeries and radiation treatments. The FDA approved a new label warning of a possible meningioma connection for the Depo-Provera injection in December 2025. A cancer epidemiologist not involved in the study said the small risk increases should be weighed against contraceptive benefits and advised women to consult physicians before changing methods.
