Contraceptive Pearl: Depot Medroxyprogesterone and Meningiomas

Washington State Health Care Authority sent this bulletin at 02/20/2026 08:00 AM PST

February 20, 2026

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Depot Medroxyprogesterone and Meningiomas

This bulletin is being sent by the Health Care Authority (HCA) in partnership with the Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP).

Written by Mariela Cabrera, MD

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), considered to be one of the oldest forms of modern contraception, received FDA approval in 1992.¹ It has proven to be a safe, reliable, and convenient method of contraception for many people. It is a progestin-only form of contraception that is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously.⁴ Because of its slow release from the muscle, DMPA has a prolonged duration of action, lasting approximately 3 months. The circulating progesterone works by inhibiting the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) surge during a menstrual cycle, thus preventing ovulation.² The lack of estrogen makes DMPA a good option for people who breast/chestfeed and for individuals with medical conditions that preclude the use of estrogen.

Click the button to read the full Contraceptive Pearl article about DMPA and meningiomas.

Read the full article

References

See RHAP's original post for sources.

About HCA and RHAP partnership

HCA and RHAP are partnering to support the reproductive health provider community’s access to accurate evidence-based clinical information.

If you are an enrolled Apple Health provider, HCA will pay to print items from the RHAP resource library.

Materials such as the birth control choices fact sheet or MEC for initiating contraception chart are available for bulk printing.

To order bulk printing

Email: Brandy Bautista
Include the following information:

"Washington Health Care Authority" in the body of the email
Items you'd like to order
Quantities
Business address
Delivery address (if different than your business address)

Contact

Email: Andrea Estes, Sexual and Reproductive Health Programs Innovation Manager at HCA, with questions regarding this partnership.

About the Health Care Authority (HCA)

Functioning as both the state's largest health care purchaser and its behavioral health authority, the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is a leader in ensuring Washington residents have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

There are three pillars of our work: Apple Health (Medicaid); the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) programs; and behavioral health and recovery. Under these pillars, HCA purchases health care, including behavioral health treatment for more than 2.7 million Washington residents and provides behavioral health prevention, crisis, and recovery supports to all Washington residents.

Please do not reply directly to this message. For more information, visit the HCA website, where you'll also find contact information.

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