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What is Depo-Provera?
NHS information on medroxyprogesterone
Depo-Provera is one brand name for medroxyprogesterone. This is the current NHS overview for the injections. It now includes the risk of meningioma under “Long-term side effects”. The risk is being described differently across the NHS.
Side effects and risks of the contraceptive injection – nhs.uk
Pfizer Depo-Provera patient leaflet
This is the package leaflet for Depo-Provera provided by Pfizer in the UK. It was last revised in September 2025 and includes a warning about meningioma with an unknown risk level.
What is a meningioma?
Brain Tumour Charity information on meningioma
Meningioma are brain tumours that begin in the membranes that cover the brain and are usually non-cancerous. This is an overview of meningioma by the Brain Tumour Charity.
Brain Tumour Research information on meningioma
This is an overview of meningioma by the Brain Tumour Research.
What evidence is there of a link?
British Medical Journal study (2024)
This is a study based on data from France. It looked at the risk of surgery for meningioma, not the risk of being diagnosed with meningioma. It reported an increase in relative risk of developing meningioma of 5.5x (5.6x if used for more than 1 year).
Pfizer, with the MHRA, provided updated guidance to healthcare professionals in October 2024. The MHRA has confirmed that this was posted to 10,000 GPs and 4,000 oncologists and emailed to members of RCOG.
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety study (February 2025)
A study by Canadian academics using US data further confirmed the link. This did look at the risk of meningioma (not just surgery), controlled for disease latency and compared the risk to contraceptives containing EE-LNG. It reports that for every 1,111 women on Depo-Provera for more than three years, one will be diagnosed with meningioma.
Pfizer update to patient leaflet in UK (2025)
Pfizer updated the patient leaflet for Depo-Provera in September 2025. It includes the risk of meningioma and has the risk level as “unknown”.
JAMA neurology study (September 2025)
A further study in the US in 2025 again confirmed the link. Again it was based on meningioma diagnosis. It found that the risk was confined to patients on Depo-Provera for longer than 4 years or who started over the age of 31. It reports that for every 1,152 women on Depo-Provera, one will be diagnosed with meningioma.
The FDA in the US requested Pfizer update the drug’s warnings in December 2025.
A study using Swedish data published in Feb 2026. It again confirmed the link between Depo-Provera and meningioma diagnoses.
A study using Danish data published in June 2026. This looked more broadly at contraceptive progestogens. It again confirmed the link between Depo-Provera and meningioma diagnoses with an increased relative risk of 4.6x as well as noting lower increased risk for other contraceptives.