If there was ever a time when women’s health was under a major crisis, it is now. In the US, access to healthcare, especially for reproductive care services has declined since the abortion ban.
Even access to contraceptives and fertility treatments is at risk. If care is available, women need to travel long distances to secure it. The World Economic Forum (WEF) shares that women spend an additional 25% of their lives in debilitating health than men.
It goes on to discuss the five conditions where the gender health gap is most easily visible. One of these is endometriosis which affects the reproductive system. Today, young women have yet again been betrayed by the healthcare system.
This becomes clearer by a new litigation filed against the American pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer. The litigation is about a birth control shot the company manufactures by the name of Depo Provera. In this article, we will share this litigation in detail to understand how healthcare providers have betrayed women.
Table of Contents
Exploring How Healthcare Is Failing Women’s Trust
Understanding The Depo Provera Shot In Detail
The Depo Provera birth control shot has been around for quite some time now. It was first introduced in the United States in the late 1950s. The purpose was to help women manage their monthly menstrual cycle.
By 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided its approval to use the shot as a contraceptive. It is an injectable, hormone-based birth control that contains progestin.
Young women have been using this form of contraceptive for decades to prevent pregnancy. It works by suppressing ovulation and preventing the ovaries from releasing an egg. The shot must be scheduled every 12 to 13 weeks, which means its effectiveness can last for up to 14 weeks at a time.
In a real-world context, this shot is said to be 99% effective as a contraceptive. The rare few who do end up pregnant are usually because they missed their next appointment.
In current use, Pfizer’s Depo Provera is only effective in preventing pregnancy. Some young women are under the impression that it can also reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is not true.
The Premise Of The Litigation
As stated earlier, a new litigation is underway which shows how young women are being betrayed by their healthcare providers. The litigation is the Depo-Provera lawsuit filed against the manufacturer for serious complications and side effects.
The first-ever lawsuit was filed on October 1st, 2024 in the California Federal court by Kristina Schmidt. She alleged that her regular use of the shots caused a brain tumor called meningioma.
According to the Mayo Clinic, meningioma is a brain tumor that originates from the meninges or the membranes surrounding the spinal cord. It is a benign tumor but one which puts increased pressure on the brain and its nerve vessels.
As a result, patients may suffer from constant headaches, seizures, or even blurry eyesight. As per TorHoerman Law, plaintiffs of this new litigation have alleged that Pfizer was aware of the shot’s potential side effects.
Despite that, it failed to warn women or had ulterior motives for doing so. What’s even more alarming is that Pfizer had a safer alternative with it after the initial clinical studies. Investigations are being carried out to understand the veracity of this in depth.
If such claims end up being true, this would be a classic scenario of keeping profits over patients. Now, where do healthcare providers enter the picture? Depo Provera is a prescription shot and cannot be purchased off the counter.
Many young women were prescribed this contraceptive for issues like heavy menstrual flow and PCOS. Later, when the same women consulted with their doctors for side effects, they were of no help.
Besides this, women have revealed that their doctor never once discussed the full range of possible side effects. This goes alongside the fact that contraceptives are used even by teenagers who have no body literacy.
The fact that doctors would recommend a life-altering shot without gauging its repercussions is shocking. Some doctors even denied the role of Depo in any of the patient’s side effect symptoms. This is precisely why women are feeling betrayed by those they trusted their reproductive health with.
Stories Of Fear, Regret, And A Sense Of Betrayal
As word continues to spread about Depo Provera’s risks, women are taking to social media to share their stories, concerns, and fears. Many report experiencing the symptoms of meningioma like constant headaches.
Others state that they have been using the shot religiously for years only to discover the litigation news. Some others had already been experiencing hormone-related side effects like depression and mood swings.
To sum it all up, the Depo Provera mess can be called a nightmare women cannot seem to wake from. The saddest part of all is that the general physicians and gynecologists who prescribed the shot have no clue about the side effects.
Many are simply sending away patients, denying the contraceptive role whilst others are making inaccurate diagnoses. The fear, anger, and regret coupled with a lack of support have driven many women to question whether life is worth living.
Finally, the Depo Provera litigation is only close to two months old. Given how widely this contraceptive has been used across the US and the UK, lawsuit numbers will increase.
We are only hoping that the increasing awareness makes healthcare providers realize their role in betraying young women. There is a pressing need for accountability on their part.
As for young women, they must check all their birth control options thoroughly. An informed choice must be made based on proper research, potential side effects, and even litigation.
