‘Black Mirror’ fans irked by emergency contraception mistake
Amedical mix-up is annoying fans of the dystopian Netflix anthology series “Black Mirror” this season. The “Arkangel” episode, directed by Jodie Foster, depicts the ultimate helicopter parent, Marie, who implants a chip in her daughter Sara’s brain to monitor her whereabouts, bodily functions and even what she sees.
During Sara’s teen years, Marie learns her daughter is pregnant and sneaks an emergency contraceptive pill into her morning smoothie in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy. Sara only learns what her mother has done after she becomes sick at school.
The problem? That’s not how emergency contraception works.
According to Planned Parenthood, emergency contraceptives like the morning-after pill prevent ovulation and don’t induce an abortion.
“The morning-after pill is NOT the same thing as the abortion pill (also called medication abortion or RU-486). The morning-after pill doesn’t cause an abortion. It won’t work if you’re already pregnant, and it won’t harm an existing pregnancy,” reads the Planned Parenthood’s website.
For some viewers, the mistake was a big deal.
“Emergency contraception does not cause abortion. Plain and simple. The ‘Black Mirror’ depiction is medically inaccurate and irresponsible,” tweeted Dr. Daniel Grossman, director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California at San Francisco.
“What’s unfortunate about this particular mass flub is that their misconception mirrors the misconception contraception opponents rely on to justify restricting women’s access to reproductive options,” journalist Erin Gloria Ryan wrote in the Daily Beast. ●