Depo-Provera^® Statistics 2025

Use of Depo Shot Injection Statistics

Depo-Provera is a type of birth control made by Pfizer. It's given by injection every 3 months and contains progestin, a synthetic form of a hormone called progesterone. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Depo-Provera as a contraceptive in 1992.

Depo-Provera is effective at preventing pregnancy, but it's also associated with an increased risk of meningiomas. These brain tumors can cause serious complications and even lead to death without treatment.

Key Facts About Depo Shot Use in the U.S.

• Depo-Provera was first introduced in 1959 to help with menstruation issues, banned by the FDA in 1978 over concerns about cancer, and later approved as a contraceptive by the FDA in 1992.
• The drug was developed by the Upjohn Company, which later merged with Pharmacia to form Pharmacia & Upjohn. This company was subsequently acquired by Pfizer.
• Roughly 1 in 4 sexually active women have used Depo-Provera, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Black and Hispanic women, as well as those who are younger and have lower incomes, are more likely to have used the birth control shot.
• Risks associated with Depo‑Provera may increase after 2 years of use, which is why Pfizer recommends limiting treatment duration unless no other options are available.

"It took Pharmacia and Upjohn Pharmaceuticals, the company that produces Depo-Provera, twenty-five years to obtain FDA approval as a 'safe' drug."
– Cambridge University Press

In 2024, a study showed that using Depo-Provera for over a year could significantly increase the risk of developing a brain or spinal cord tumor known as a meningioma. If you were diagnosed, you may be eligible for compensation.

For over 45 years, Sokolove Law has stood up for consumers harmed by unsafe pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. Let our team fight for you.

Depo-Provera & Meningioma Statistics

Women who used Depo-Provera are over 5 times more likely to develop meningioma tumors, especially if they received this injectable birth control for 1 year or more, according to the BMJ.

Meningioma tumors are sensitive to hormones like progesterone, a synthetic version that's the active ingredient in Depo-Provera. In fact, more than 60% of meningiomas contain progesterone receptors, as noted in the BMJ study.

Here’s what to know about meningiomas and Depo-Provera: 

• Meningioma is the most common type of brain tumor, making up around 30% of all cases, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Around 3% of all individuals over the age of 60 develop meningiomas, according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
• Up to 15% of meningiomas are cancerous, which could lead to more serious health complications.
• Pfizer hasn't warned of the risk of meningiomas in the United States, even though they've done so elsewhere.
• Without any type of treatment, meningioma brain tumors can be fatal.

About 302,000 women relied on Depo-Provera as their main form of birth control in 2022 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This means that thousands of women could be at risk of developing meningiomas.

Meningioma Survival Statistics

Patients who develop meningioma tumors from using Depo-Provera often have a good prognosis, or expected health outlook, if they get treatment. Factors like a patient's tumor size, age, and more can all affect how long someone lives.

The 5-year survival rate for meningiomas is around 92%, according to a Neuro-Oncology Advances report. This means that most patients are still alive 5 years after being diagnosed.

Depo-Provera brain tumor survival statistics include:

• Between 46.7% and 95.7% of patients live for 5 years without the tumors worsening, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine
• Older meningioma patients have lower 5-year survival rates
• Patients aged 55 to 64 have a 5-year survival rate of 74%, according to Moffitt Cancer Center.
• It’s possible to live a full life depending on how meningioma tumors respond to treatments.
• One woman has lived for over 26 years with an inoperable meningioma tumor thanks to medication.

However, it’s important to understand that meningioma tumors can be life-threatening, even with treatment. Additionally, survivors often face lasting physical and emotional challenges from living with a brain tumor.

Statistics on Depo-Provera Side Effects and Symptoms

For Depo-Provera, the warning label lists a wide range of side effects, like blood clots, abdominal pain, fatigue, and irregular menstruation. However, U.S. patients weren’t notified that meningiomas could also be a risk.

Pfizer listed meningiomas as a potential side effect of Depo-Provera on product information provided to Canadian patients, but failed to provide the same warning to Americans.

Here are statistics on meningioma and Depo-Provera symptoms:

• Roughly 77% of meningioma patients suffer from headaches, according to a Sage Journals study. Some patients developed migraines while others experienced tension headaches.
• Other common symptoms of meningioma tumors include memory issues, vision changes, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, seizures, loss of smell, bone loss, and mood swings.
• Pfizer recommends using Depo-Provera for no more than 2 years, unless there are no other effective birth control methods available.

Meningioma symptoms may develop gradually over time and might not be noticeable or significant at first. Symptoms vary depending on which part of the brain the tumor affects, according to Paras Health.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a meningioma, contact us now. You may be eligible for compensation to help cover your treatment costs and more.

"There had to be some explanation for my constant migraines, hands that trembled and an increasing everyday struggle to find words. I constantly forgot things like work assignments, and I would faint flat out on the floor at random times of the day and in public places."
– Claire, Meningioma Survivor

Meningioma Treatment Statistics

Currently, the most effective treatment for Depo shot meningioma tumors is brain surgery. Undergoing meningioma brain surgery is often costly but may also mean weeks of recovery time and related medical expenses.

Meningiomas that aren’t treated may be fatal as the tumor could continue to grow unchecked and shut down the brain’s normal functions. As a result, it’s likely that doctors will recommend some form of treatment.

Meningioma treatment statistics include:

• Surgical removal can cure 70% to 80% of patients facing meningiomas, according to Paras Health. Radiation and chemotherapy are sometimes used as well.
• If a meningioma tumor can’t be removed with surgery, it may require lifelong management with antiprogestin medication.
• It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to recover from meningioma surgery, depending on the tumor's location, size, and the treatments used, according to Perlmutter Cancer Center.
• About 5% of meningiomas recur or grow back despite treatments, Moffitt Cancer Center reports.

While treatment is essential to living longer with meningioma, it can be incredibly expensive. In some cases, treating a meningioma can cost up to $700,000 before insurance.

These medical and financial burdens could have possibly been avoided if Pfizer had done its duty and warned that Depo-Provera shots could cause meningioma brain tumors.

Depo Shot Lawsuit Statistics

The first Depo-Provera lawsuit was filed in October 2024. A woman who received more than 60 shots between 2005 and 2021 was diagnosed with a meningioma tumor in 2022 after suffering from symptoms like headaches and vertigo.

Since that time, hundreds of other lawsuits claim that Depo-Provera caused otherwise preventable meningioma tumors. Pfizer could face thousands of Depo-Provera lawsuits, considering so many women relied on the birth control shots.

Notable Depo shot lawsuit statistics include:

• As of October 2025, at least 1,200 Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuits are pending in a multidistrict litigation (MDL). This is a type of legal action similar to a Depo-Provera class action lawsuit.
• New filings in the Depo-Provera MDL increased by more than 120% from August to October 2025, with 672 new cases filed.
• A judge heard a motion by Pfizer to dismiss many of the lawsuits it currently faces on September 29, 2025. However, this motion could fail, allowing the Depo-Provera lawsuits to proceed.
• Pfizer has released over 8,000 documents during ongoing legal discovery efforts, where both legal teams exchange information.

Each state has statutes of limitations that limit how much time you have to file a Depo-Provera lawsuit. In some states, the deadline is as short as 1 year.

For this reason, reach out to Sokolove Law as soon as possible, so you don’t miss your chance to file.

Call (800) 995-1212 right now to see if our dangerous drug lawyers can seek compensation for you. It costs nothing to speak with us.

Statistics on Depo-Provera Settlements

There have been no Depo-Provera lawsuit settlements related to meningiomas at this time, since the litigation is so new.

However, other settlements have been reached in malpractice cases related to meningiomas, awarding significant payouts. It’s possible that women who developed brain tumors from Depo-Provera could be entitled to substantial settlements as well.

Statistics on meningioma settlements and verdicts include:

• The average meningioma lawsuit settlement is nearly $870,000, according to a Neurosurgical Focus report.
• The average value of meningioma verdicts is over $3.4 Million.
• More than 19% of meningioma lawsuits were resolved through settlements, while over 51% reached verdicts that favored the plaintiffs, or those who had developed the tumors.
• Pfizer had to pay over $2 Million in a 2021 Depo-Provera class action lawsuit settlement for bone density loss linked to the injection.
• If your Depo-Provera attorney is able to successfully negotiate a settlement that Pfizer agrees to, you may get the check from Pfizer in 1-2 months.

Since Depo shot litigation is unique and ongoing, there's no way to calculate potential settlement amounts or that a payout will happen. The unique factors of your case will affect if and when a Depo-Provera settlement is possible.

Sokolove Law: Fighting for Families Harmed by Depo-Provera

At Sokolove Law, our Depo-Provera attorneys are ready to pursue compensation and justice for those who developed meningiomas from the injectable birth control medication.

For more than 45 years, we’ve stood up to pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer on behalf of those harmed. Our efforts have secured over $10.1 Billion in compensation for clients nationwide.

There are never any upfront costs or hourly fees to work with us. Our attorneys work on a contingency-fee basis, so we only get paid if we secure compensation for you.

Call (800) 995-1212 now or get a free, no-obligation case review by filling out our form.

Depo-Provera Statistic FAQs