Study: Birth Control Injection Linked to Brain Tumors

Facts

• According to a French study published in the British Medical Journal, certain progesterone birth control injections were linked to a 560% increase in brain tumors.¹
• The tumors, called intracranial meningioma, are usually non-cancerous but can cause other issues — including vision, hearing, smell, and memory loss, as well as seizures and weakness — since they're located around the brain and spinal cord.²
• Out of 108K women studied across France, 18,061 of them — with an average age of 58 — underwent brain tumor surgery from 2009 to 2018.¹
• Two oral pills, medrogestone and promegestone, were linked to a 4.1 and 2.7 times increased risk, respectively. The injections, sold by Pfizer under the name Depo-Provera, will receive updated labeling, according to the company.³
• Several high-dose progestogens were already known to raise the risk of meningioma. For this study, researchers looked at eight more common forms of the hormone that were previously believed to be safe.³
• For the 74M women globally who use the drug for birth control, those most at risk took it for more than a year. The study also only showed correlation rather than causation, with researchers emphasizing it doesn't mean all progesterone treatments are bad.²

Sources: ¹The Telegraph, ²Independent and ³The Guardian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The BMJ. The data in this study is important and women should use it as part of their decision-making process. But until scientists delve deeper into the causation, it appears the risks associated with progesterone are low. More research is needed before any definitive conclusions are drawn.
• Narrative B, as provided by ZRT Laboratory. Unfortunately, hormone-based contraception — particularly the pill — was once lauded but it's turning out to cause more harm than predicted. The world must know how these synthetic hormone disruptors cause physical ailments like blood clots and mental issues like depression.

Predictions