The birth control shot, a contraceptive delivered by injection every 12 weeks, has been hailed as a convenient alternative for women who don’t want to take birth control pills daily. Unfortunately, recent research findings have raised serious concerns about the safety of this medication. The recent Depo-Provera lawsuits are the latest mass tort legislation arising out of women’s health concerns.
For patients who did or currently do use Depo-Provera for birth control, it’s important to understand the health concerns associated with this medication, discuss any symptoms or recommended tests with your doctor, and, with the help of your medical provider, weigh the risks and benefits. Women who have developed brain tumors, potential symptoms of brain tumors, or other serious medical issues after using this form of birth control should explore the options that may be available to them as Depo-Provera lawsuits keep moving forward.
The Side Effects and Health Risks Associated With Depo-Provera
Side effects aren’t uncommon with birth control medications. Among the more common side effects associated with Depo-Provera are:
- Headaches
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Changes in appetite
For some women, the side effects of the Depo-Provera birth control shot are minimal, temporary, and worth the benefits of the drug—or, at least, they seemed that way before the news of more severe health risks broke. However, for other women, the impact of birth control side effects is severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Newly Discovered Health Risks Linked to Birth Control Shot
When a team of French researchers published the results of a large-scale study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in March 2024, their findings raised serious new health concerns. According to their findings, using Depo-Provera for at least a year raises a woman’s risk of developing meningiomas.
These tumors develop in the protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord. Although meningiomas are usually benign (non-cancerous), the impact these brain and spinal cord tumors have on a woman’s health can still be significant. Some of these brain tumors can grow large enough to become life-threatening.
Depending on the size and location of the tumor, women may suffer symptoms that severely impact their lives, including:
- Seizures
- Vision changes
- Hearing loss
- Significant neurological deficits
The Health Risks of Meningioma Treatments
The symptoms caused by meningiomas tell only part of the story of Depo-Provera’s potential health implications. The complexities of removing tumors that develop in the covering of the brain and spinal cord add to these health risks.
Brain surgery isn’t an easy procedure by any means, and this intervention poses significant risks. Besides the risks of infection and bleeding, which can accompany surgeries of all kinds, the complications women are at risk of following meningioma surgery include:
- Brain swelling
- Cranial nerve injury
- Cerebral edema
- Brain damage due to any of the above causes or accidental injury during surgery
In the context of brain surgery, swelling, damage, and fluid buildup can have devastating effects, impairing vision, speech, and cognitive function.
Surgery isn’t the only potential intervention for meningioma. Although the tumor itself may not be cancerous, radiation therapy may be used to treat meningioma, especially when the location of the tumor makes surgical removal difficult or unsafe. The health risks associated with radiation therapy include fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, headaches, and even worrying cognitive changes, like memory loss.
Depo-Provera Health Concerns Have Fueled Legal Action Against Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
The serious health concerns raised by the reported link between Depo-Provera and meningioma have given rise to a new wave of legal action. Women who were assured that the birth control injection was safe, and who took it for a year or longer based on these assurances, have now learned that using Depo-Provera has increased their risk of developing brain tumors by a statistically significant amount.
Women who have been diagnosed with brain tumors following long-term use of Depo-Provera are seeking to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable. This adverse event has cost them a great deal in terms of the following:
- Loss of cognitive function
- Medical bills
- Loss of income while their condition or recovery from treatment prevented them from working
- The pain and suffering that go along with suffering from brain tumors and recovering from radiation or brain surgery
The only way women who have developed brain tumors after using Depo-Provera can be made whole for all of these losses is by holding drug manufacturers accountable through the legal system. Our Depo-Provera lawsuit attorneys are prepared to stand up to pharmaceutical companies, as we’ve done before on numerous occasions, to secure justice, accountability, and compensation for women harmed by birth control injections.
A Reflection of Women’s Health Concerns in the Medical and Pharmaceutical Industries
All patients have a right to expect their medications not to pose excessive health risks and to be fully informed of side effects and adverse events so they can make informed decisions. Yet the Depo-Provera lawsuits highlight the all-too-common issue of serious health concerns specific to medications, pharmaceutical products, and consumer products for women.
This litigation follows numerous other legal issues arising out of harm associated with contraceptive drugs and devices. Examples of prior contraceptive injury litigation include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and other implanted devices that could perforate organs and birth control pills that raised the risk of serious medical conditions like blood clots.
As too many women have already experienced firsthand—and as researchers have repeatedly concluded—the overall quality of women’s healthcare in the United States is a cause for concern, with positive outcomes often lagging behind those found in other countries.
Women deserve contraceptive medications that are safe and effective as well as convenient and accessible. As a law firm with significant female leadership, Anapol Weiss understands the full impact of birth control drugs that pose serious health risks to women.
We’re already taking strides to protect women who have suffered from brain tumors following Depo-Provera use and to fight for the compensation they deserve. Through birth control injury litigation, we not only secure the injured monetary damages but also hold pharmaceutical companies liable. Pushing for greater accountability for dangerous drugs can help make the healthcare system and pharmaceutical industry safer for women.
