A Scots grandmother has told how her career was left in tatters after she developed three brain tumours she says were caused by the contraceptive jab.
Sonja Ferrier, from Dundee, has joined a group of 160 women in Scotland who are seeking damages against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The 53-year-old began taking the Depo-Provera shot at age 17 and used it consistently for more than three decades before she began experiencing blurred vision in one eye and complete sight loss in the other.
She was referred to Ninewells Hospital before being told she had three inoperable meningiomas - benign brain tumours - growing inside her skull.
Career dreams shattered
Sonja was training to become a driving instructor when medics broke the frightening news to her. Speaking to the Record, she said: "Being told I had not just one but three brain tumours utterly devastated me. I had been training to become a driving instructor – a career I had wanted to pursue for a long time - when my eyesight began to go."
"I was told I couldn't train anymore. It was gut-wrenching. I had poured my heart and soul into training and it felt like it had been taken away from me."
Surgeons were unable to operate on Sonja's tumours because one is growing near a carotid artery and the others are simply too small. Instead, she underwent several gruelling rounds of radiotherapy across six weeks in a bid to shrink the masses. She says the treatment has left her with slower cognitive function and muscle wastage.
Impact on health and life
Sonja said: "My cognitive ability isn't what it used to be - it now takes me much longer to string sentences together and I'm a slower thinker. I live a very active lifestyle and I was fit and healthy but the therapy to shrink my tumours has caused me significant tiredness and weight loss."
"It has all impacted my life quite profoundly."
In 2024, a study published by the British Medical Journal found that prolonged use of Depo-Provera causes a significant increase in the risk of developing meningioma brain tumours. The study found that women who used Depo-Provera were five times more likely to be diagnosed with meningiomas compared to women who never used the birth control shot.
Calls for accountability
Like many other victims, Sonja claims she was never warned of the dangers associated with the jab. She has now called on manufacturer Pfizer to be held accountable. She said: "This drug hasn't been regulated or monitored for decades. If it had been, then in this decade women wouldn't be discovering brain tumours. This link should have been discovered years ago."
"In another ten years, thousands more women will be coming forward. I've got two granddaughters, and I'd hate to think that when they're at an age when they have to think about contraceptives, Depo-Provera will still be on the market."
"Women deserve better than this and Pfizer ought to be held to account."
Sonja joined other women last month as victims took their fight to the Scottish Parliament. Together, the group made calls on the government to lead a UK-wide public inquiry into the jab. Since the Record's coverage began, almost 250 women have contacted Thompsons Solicitors Scotland.
Legal developments
In June, Pfizer agreed to settle over 5,000 lawsuits in the US. Women claimed the pharmaceutical giant failed to warn patients about the risk of meningiomas.
Patrick McGuire, senior partner with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, which represents Sonja, said: "The bravery that Sonja has shown in speaking out on this issue is tremendous. Depo-Provera has cast a huge shadow over her life but yet she and many other ladies in the support group continue to speak out against failures that led to their terrible illnesses."
"Our class action law suit against the makers of this drug, Pfizer , continues to develop and we urge anyone who thinks they or a relative may have been affected to contact us now. As our numbers grow our strength and solidarity grows."
A spokesperson for Pfizer said: "Patient safety is our top priority. We conduct rigorous and continuous monitoring of all our medicines, including assessments of reported adverse events, in collaboration with health authorities around the globe. Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) 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 during that time."
"People should talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they have any concerns or experience any side effects."
