Study: Certain Birth Control Pills Linked to Higher Tumor Risk
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Researchers have found that users of some birth control pills could be at a higher risk of developing tumors.
The birth control study, which was published in The BMJ earlier this month, uncovered a risk specifically for women who have taken oral contraceptives containing desogestrel for more than five years.
Those women could have a heightened chance of developing a meningioma.
Meningiomas are tumors that form in the lining of the brain and spinal cord. They are often benign but can still cause very serious health issues as they grow and press on the brain. They may also require invasive surgery to be removed.
Birth control brands that contain desogestrel include Ortho-Cept, Apri and Desogen, among others. Desogestrel is a type of progestogen, which has been linked to meningiomas in the past.
While meningiomas can be serious, the researchers did note that the increase in risk is relatively small. They determined that one woman would go on to require meningioma surgery for about every 17,000 long-term users.
Depo-Provera Birth Control Shot Also Linked to Meningioma Risk
This is not the first time that a popular birth control option has been connected to a risk of developing brain tumors.
In March 2024, some of the same researchers published findings that users of Depo-Provera may develop meningiomas at a notably higher rate than the average person.
Depo-Provera is a contraceptive injection that has been used by women in the United States for decades. Manufactured by Pfizer, the drug gained a foothold in part due to its convenience and effectiveness. It typically only requires four shots per year.
The researchers found that long-term users of the Depo shot could be upwards of 500% more likely to develop a meningioma.
In the year following the release of that study, hundreds of Depo-Provera lawsuits have been filed by women who say they were impacted by these concerns.
Drugwatch has spoken with women who say their lives were turned upside down by their meningioma diagnoses. Depo user Tina Thomas said that both her hearing and voice were impacted by tumors that formed after taking the shot.
“It was a really bad experience for me,” she said. “My voice, the way it sounds now, is really raspy and it’s because of the paralysis.”
More than 400 Depo lawsuits are currently grouped together in federal court. The litigation is still in the early stages.
