In France, 1.6 million women using desogestrel-based contraceptives (Antigone, Cerazette, Elfasette, Optimizette, etc.) will receive a letter informing them of a low risk of meningioma, the ANSM (French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety) announced on September 10.
The letter advises them to consult a doctor if they experience persistent headaches, visual disturbances, muscle weakness, balance or speech problems, memory loss, or recent epilepsy—symptoms that could indicate a meningioma. This generally benign tumor, which originates in the meninges, can lead to significant aftereffects: vision and hearing problems, headaches, memory loss, or epileptic seizures.
However, the risk associated with desogestrel remains much lower than that observed with other progestins such as Androcur, Lutényl, Lutéran, Colprone, or Depo-Provera, for which imaging monitoring is standard practice. According to an Epi-Phare study (2024), one in 67,000 women taking desogestrel develops a meningioma attributable to the treatment. After five years, this risk drops to 1 in 17,000, and it doubles after seven years, disappearing one year after stopping the medication. Women over 45 or those who have previously taken a high-risk progestin for more than a year are most at risk.
The French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) recommends not stopping contraception without medical advice and discussing this topic at the next appointment with a doctor, gynecologist, or midwife.
 Sophie de Duiéry
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10/09/2026 | 
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