Brain Tumors and Birth Control

What are patients seeing on social media about brain tumors and birth control?

• Headlines about brain tumors and birth control, especially the shot, regularly make the rounds on social media and in the news. Many posts conflate two very different conditions: meningiomas (usually benign brain tumors) and gliomas (malignant brain cancers).
• TikTok videos and news articles amplify this claim, often referencing lawsuits or studies without context. 
• These posts gain traction because they tap into longstanding mis/disinformation trends about hormones, contraception, and safety.

What’s the evidence around brain tumors and birth control? 

• A large U.S. study found a small association [relative risk of 2.43 (95% CI, 1.77-3.33)] between long-term use of Depo-Provera (DMPA) and meningioma diagnosis, particularly after 4 or more years of use and among individuals aged 31–40.
  • The study showed an association, but did not prove causation. Even if the link stands up in subsequent studies, the absolute risk remains extremely low given that meningiomas are rare. Fewer than 1 in 10,000 people are diagnosed each year.
  • No increased risk was seen with other hormonal methods, including pills, patch, ring, implant, or hormonal IUDs. 
  • Some meningiomas express progesterone receptors, which may explain why researchers explored a potential connection.
• A 2015 study found that Danish women who had used the pill or hormonal IUD were about 50% more likely to be diagnosed with a brain tumor. But gliomas are so rare that even with a 50% higher likelihood, when you combine it with the total number of women diagnosed, it still means that fewer than 1 in 100,000 women under age 40 are diagnosed each year.
• There are no absolute contraindications to hormonal contraception for individuals with or without a history of brain tumor unless otherwise clinically indicated. Overall, hormonal contraception, including DMPA, is safe for most people.

Talking with patients about brain tumors and birth control

Get curious:

This isn’t a topic that needs to be proactively discussed, but important to address if a patient has specific questions or concerns. If someone expresses general concerns about brain tumors, a question:

There’s been a lot of online talk about birth control and brain tumors—what have you seen or heard?

Acknowledge concerns & normalize:

I get why that sounds scary. Brain tumors are serious, and the idea that something you use for birth control could be linked to that would worry anyone.

I’m so glad you asked about that. It’s important to feel confident in whatever birth control you decide to use.

Clarify with evidence and empathy

The study people are talking about looked at a rare, non-cancerous tumor called a meningioma. It found a small link with the shot—but it didn’t prove the shot causes tumors.

These tumors are super rare to begin with. So, even with a possible increase, the overall number who develop this condition barely changes.

Diving deeper

When appropriate, provide basic social media literacy education about how lawsuits often manipulate data to stoke fear.

Birth control lawsuits get a lot of coverage because they tap into fears about safety and birth control—not because the methods aren’t safe.

Key takeaways

• Meningiomas are rare, slow-growing, and usually benign.
• DMPA may have a small statistical association with meningiomas after prolonged use, but the absolute risk remains extremely low.
• US Medical Eligibility does not restrict contraception use based on brain tumor risk.
• Hormonal birth control remains a safe, effective option for most patients.