The association between depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and meningiomas: Emerging data and their relevance to the South African context

In the past 2 years, evidence suggesting an association between depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (dMPA) use and meningioma has emerged. As dMPA remains one of the most widely used contraceptive methods worldwide, this finding has led to increasing media attention, and regulatory and legal proceedings. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has issued a statement acknowledging the association between dMPA exposure and the development for meningiomas. However, the paucity of local data on dMPA use and the incidence of and risk factors for meningioma in both the public and private health sector make it difficult to fully assess the implications in SA. This report discusses the relevance of the association between dMPA and meningiomas in the SA context. We provide a summary of the current data on the risk of meningioma with dMPA exposure, and suggest how this should impact on recommendations for the prescribing and use of dMPA from a public health perspective. We further identify gaps in local data, and propose where efforts should be directed to collect relevant data to inform a rational national contraceptive strategy.