What Black Women Should Know About the Class Action Lawsuit Against Pfizer for Birth Control Drug

What happens when you begin to suspect that your prescribed birth control is actually trying to kill you? In the case of over 1,300 women in the U.S., they’re taking legal action against a popular pharmaceutical company for allegedly failing to warn women about the risks of Depo-Provera, one of the most common birth control options for Black women.

Robin Phillip is one of the many women who believes her diagnosed brain tumor was connected to her birth control medicine. “If I would have [known] from the get-go, I would have never took that shot,” she told NBC News. Phillip was diagnosed with an intracranial meningioma — a benign brain tumor — after taking Depo, a common but controversial birth control, for nearly 30 years.

“I was feeling lost, because where would I have possibly gotten a tumor from? I had a regular life. I did regular things,” she added. Emergency surgery to remove the tumor left Phillip blind in one eye and temporarily unable to walk. But her devastating story is not the only one. And statistics show Black women like Phillip are more exposed to the alleged dangers of Depo.

The Racial Bias of Pfizer’s Depo-Provera

Depo-Provera is one of many birth control options for women. The injectable drug was approved by the FDA in 1992; since then, it’s been a popular alternative, especially for Black women, who are nearly twice as likely to take Depo compared to the national average, according to the CDC.

In truth, Depo was around way before the FDA’s approval. The drug was reportedly tested on Black women, though they weren’t told about harsh side effects including hair loss, weight gain, acne and near-suicidal depression, according to Daye, an organization focused on women’s reproductive health.

Depo was initially rejected by the FDA in 1974, citing concerns about potential cancer risks, according to reports. Now, it seems the drug’s shaky past is coming back to bite in the worst way.

Data to Back Up the Lawsuit

The class-action lawsuit cited studies showing evidence that Depo can cause tumors like meningiomas. Additionally, the British Medical Journal, Drexel University and the National Institutes of Health all found connections between the birth control drug and meningiomas.

Still, whether or not Depo causes tumors is not the primary issue at hand. The lawsuit alleged Pfizer knowingly neglected to put a warning label on the bottle, consequently leaving patients in the dark about the alleged risks.

In response, Pfizer claimed they tried to attach a tumor waring to the drug’s label, but the FDA rejected the effort, Reuters reported. “This is a clear pre-emption case because FDA expressly barred Pfizer from adding a warning about meningioma risk, which plaintiffs say state law required,” Pfizer’s filing reads.

Attorneys believe this case could result in a several billion-dollar ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. They also expect thousands more to come forward against the company.

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