‘Black Mirror’, the morning-after pill and irate abortion backers

Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker’s dystopian TV series, returned to streaming site Netflix last month.

The series is known for its chilling story lines, which tap into a collective unease about our modern world. It has been criticised for disturbing and upsetting viewers.

The latest controversy to embroil the show is over ’emergency contraception’, also known as the morning-after pill (MAP).

In episode four of the new series, a school nurse implies that emergency contraception can ‘terminate a pregnancy’.

This assertion did not sit well with pro-abortionists, who took to Twitter to vent their anger.

One user wrote: “Good morning to everyone except black mirror, for spreading the misconception that emergency contraception ‘ends a pregnancy’”.

Another called the episode “infuriating”, saying “emergency contraception can’t terminate a pregnancy”.

Even a doctor hit out, repeating the line that ‘emergency contraception’ does not destroy an unborn life.

But how do their assertions square with science?

Conception takes place at the point of fertilisation. A man’s sperm and a woman’s egg fuse together to create unique DNA, distinct from the genetic material in the egg and the sperm.

The MAP pill works in several ways depending on the version used. It can prevent a woman’s egg from releasing at a time when sperm could reach it. This prevents the egg from being fertilised and thus the creation of a new life. In these cases, it is acting as contraception.

However, some versions of the MAP pill act to starve an egg which has already been fertilised by sperm. In this instance, a life which has been conceived is destroyed. In other words, an early-stage abortion takes place.

In the United States, where the episode of Black Mirror in question was filmed, the federal Food and Drug Administration recognises that the MAP pill “may prevent a fertilised egg from attaching to the womb”, resulting in miscarriage.

Despite the protestations of abortion activists, it is an undeniable fact that the MAP pill can cause an abortion.

Judging by some of the angry responses to Black Mirror, it is important to be clear about this.

Many people don’t understand that taking the MAP pill can be a matter of life and death.