Depot-Medroxyprogesterone (DMPA or Depo-Provera) and meningioma

If you have questions about Depot-Medroxyprogesterone (also known as DMPA or Depo-Provera) and meningioma

What is a meningioma?  A meningioma is a slow-growing tumor that forms on the covering of the brain and spinal cord. Most aren’t cancer, but they can cause problems if they press on the brain (including headaches, vision changes, and personality changes). Most meningiomas are found accidentally when people have other tests done such as CT scans or MRIs of the brain.

How common are meningiomas? Meningiomas are the most common brain tumor in adults (about 8-10 people get them out of every 100,000 people each year).

What is the risk of meningioma with DMPA?

• In 2024, French researchers looked at over 100,000 health records and found that women who used DMPA injections for more than a year had about a 5 times higher risk of developing a meningioma than those not using DMPA.

• Although this sounds dramatic, the actual risk is very small. It means that about 5 out of 100,000 people using this medicine will get a meningioma, compared to 1 out of every 100,000 who don’t. Here is another way of describing it: The risk goes from 0.0001% to 0.0005%

• A similar study in the United States found that people who used DMPA for about 5 years or longer had a 2-3 times higher risk of meningioma. The risk was also higher for people who started using DMPA after age 31.

• BUT, experts say that more research is needed to fully understand if there is a connection between DMPA and meningioma.

What does all of this mean for me? These studies don’t mean that everyone who uses DMPA will get a tumor, it just means that the risk is a little higher for those who do. The overall risk of meningioma is still very low! This medicine can also offer important benefits like managing menstrual periods and pregnancy prevention.

Talk to your provider to address any concerns or questions that you might have.