One concerning connection<\/a> that keeps popping up<\/a> in observational population studies around the world is the development of a rare yet treatable brain tumor<\/a> called meningioma.<\/p>\n Researchers at the Danish Medicines Agency have now combed through 25 years’ worth of health data in Denmark, covering roughly three million females, to clear up the picture.<\/p>\n Their findings are published in JAMA Network Open<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n The nationwide study is the first of its kind to show that only certain types of contraceptives are indeed linked to this type of tumor.<\/p>\n Although the relative risk reported by the study is modest and the absolute risk is probably tiny, it is important to investigate further.<\/p>\n Injectable birth control called medroxyprogesterone<\/a> (brand name Depo-Provera) showed the strongest association with meningioma tumors, with a relative increase in risk of about 4-fold.<\/p>\n According to the Danish study, weaker associations exist for combined oral contraceptives and the mini-pill, with a relative risk increase of 1.5-fold. <\/p>\n Importantly, these risks only persisted while participants were actively using contraception. The elevated risk generally seems to disappear within five years of stopping a contraceptive progestogen.<\/p>\n “While a 4-fold relative increase in risk seems very high, the absolute risk of meningioma is small,” explains<\/a> cancer<\/a> epidemiologist Paul Pharoah from Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University in the US. <\/p>\n He explains that about 5 women per 1,000 will develop a meningioma in their lifetime.<\/p>\n That only increases to 6 women per 1,000 women using medroxyprogesterone from ages 25 to 44.<\/p>\n “These very small increases in risk need to be balanced against the benefits of different forms of contraception,” says<\/a> Pharoah. <\/p>\n “It is important that women do not stop using their birth control pills without consulting their doctor.”<\/p>\n Not only are meningioma tumors rare, but when they do occur, they are also typically benign in roughly 90 percent of cases.<\/p>\n On occasion, however, these tumors can cause seizures and cognitive issues, so they are taken seriously. Meningiomas are usually removed surgically or treated with radiation therapy.<\/p>\n Thousands of women who say they were diagnosed with an intracranial meningioma after receiving Depo-Provera injections have filed<\/a> lawsuits against Pfizer since 2024.<\/p>\n In December 2025, the US FDA approved a new label for the injection that warns customers of a possible connection to meningiomas.<\/p>\n Obstetrician and gynecologist Gino Pecoraro from the University of Queensland in Australia acknowledges that while those taking certain forms of contraception may be at a very small increased risk for meningioma, there are also risks to not using contraception, too.<\/p>\n Pecoraro points out<\/a>, for instance, that “pregnancy in Australia carries a maternal mortality rate of 6.6 per hundred thousand, while the Australian five-year survival rate following meningioma diagnosis is greater than 90 percent.”<\/p>\n While it’s unknown what causes meningiomas, there is good reason to suspect that hormones like progesterone play a role.<\/p>\n In the United States and Denmark, women are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with meningioma compared to men.<\/p>\n What’s more, meningioma tumors also tend to grow more rapidly during pregnancy or when a patient is taking therapies with progesterone-like mimics.<\/p>\n “We have known for a few years that high-dose exposure to certain progesterone drugs increases the risk of meningioma,” reproductive endocrinologist Channa Jayasena from Imperial College London told<\/a> the Science Media Center.<\/p>\n “Meningiomas are tumors of the lining of the brain. Most meningiomas have receptors that can ‘listen to’ progesterone in the body, so it is plausible that any type of progesterone-like drug could slightly increase the risk.”<\/p>\n Progestogens are synthetic compounds that mimic the natural hormone progesterone. They are used in some contraceptive injections, IUDs, combined birth control pills, and progesterone-only pills \u2013 sometimes called ‘mini-pills’.<\/p>\n For years now, scientists have suspected that this hormone may be linked to meningiomas; however, previous studies have turned up mixed results.<\/p>\n Often, these analyses did not take into account current contraceptive use as opposed to past contraceptive use, and this may have muddied the results.<\/p>\n The risk seems to be erased when contraception is ceased, at least according to this recent Danish data crunch.<\/p>\n Gynecologist Melanie Davies, who was not involved in the current study, says<\/a> that this new research confirms an association between progestogens and some brain tumors.<\/p>\n However, she adds<\/a>, because meningioma is such a rare condition, these findings “should not put women off using progestogens, which are effective hormonal treatments for debilitating conditions and suit many women who require contraception.”<\/p>\n Jayasena also points out<\/a> that this study did not look at hormone replacement therapy, which uses much lower doses of progesterone, and “so is not expected to increase meningioma risk.”<\/p>\n “Therefore,” he stresses<\/a>, “these results do not apply to women taking HRT.”<\/p>\n An investigation into the association between progestogens and meningiomas is currently ongoing<\/a> at the European Medicines Agency.<\/p>\n Related: When You Got Your Period May Impact Dementia Risk, Study Finds<\/a><\/p>\n “Prescribers should certainly be aware of the association,” argues<\/a> Pecoraro.<\/p>\n “This is further evidence of the importance of appropriate contraceptive consultations addressing risks and benefits of various means of contraception, taking place between prescribers and women, prior to writing a script or making a recommendation.”<\/p>\n Women who have suffered brain tumors after taking the injections argue<\/a> that patients should be warned of the possible risks.<\/p>\n The study is published in JAMA Network Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n This article was fact-checked by Rachel Garner<\/a> and edited by Rebecca Dyer<\/a>. While we pride ourselves on our process, we are only human. If you spot a mistake, please let us know<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hormonal birth control has allowed millions worldwide to manage their menstrual cycles and control their reproductive futures. 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