A woman claims she was left with a bulging eye and a brain tumour after using a contraceptive jab for over 20 years. Kirsty Moore, 37, from Dundee, started using the Depo-Provera shot, manufactured by Pfizer, when she was 16 years old and only stopped earlier this year after learning of its potential links to meningiomas.
She was diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumour in 2021 after experiencing headaches and noticing a swelling in her right eye. Despite four operations to remove the mass, which is growing on an optic nerve, the tumour has continued to grow. She is now undergoing a six-week course of radiotherapy to stop its growth.
Impact on Life
Speaking to the Daily Record, Moore said: 'This tumour has dramatically changed my life. I've had to undergo four operations - including one emergency surgery - to try and remove it. Each operation has been extremely invasive and recovery has been hard.' She added: 'Because it's growing on an optic nerve, it means it is going to be harder to remove. I'm now undergoing radiotherapy every day for six weeks to try to shrink it. It has left me exhausted, depleted and unable to work. I'm also affected mentally because it has left my face permanently disfigured.'
Risks and Legal Action
A 2024 study in the British Medical Journal found that prolonged use of Depo-Provera increases the risk of developing meningioma brain tumours by five times. Moore and other women in Scotland claim they were not warned of these risks. 'At no point throughout the 21 years of taking Depo Provera was I ever warned that it could cause a brain tumour,' she said.
Around 2,500 women are suing Pfizer in the US, and law firm Thompsons Scotland is helping a group of Scottish women start legal proceedings. Patrick McGuire, senior partner at Thompsons, said: 'It is heartbreaking to see the awful consequences for Kirsty's health caused by Depo Provera.'
A Pfizer spokesperson stated: 'Patient safety is our top priority. Depo-Provera has been approved in more than 60 countries over the last 30 years, has a well-established efficacy and safety profile and has been a treatment option for millions of patients.'
