Veronica Mars and the Mystery of Medical Misinformation

By Christine Cupaiuolo — February 7, 2007

Update: The episode summary has been changed so it now reads: “Veronica (Kristen Bell) is hired by Bonnie (guest star Carlee Avers, “Commander in Chief”), a promiscuous classmate, to find out who secretly slipped her RU-486, causing her to have a miscarriage.” It previously read: “.. to find out who secretly slipped her the morning after pill, causing her to have a miscarriage.”

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I used to be a big fan of Veronica Mars, but I’ve let it go some since our heroine — the first female teen since Buffy who is routinely the smartest, toughest person in the room — graduated from high school and moved on to private investigation at a nearby college. The show still has grand moments, but it hasn’t been as consistently solid or satisfying.

Which explains why I’ve got more than a few episodes TiVo’d that I have yet to watch, so I’m going to direct your attention to Ann’s post on Feministing about last night’s episode, titled “There’s Got to be a Morning After Pill,’ and how 1.) the episode summary on the CW website incorrectly identifies emergency contraception as being capable of causing a miscarriage; and 2.) the show itself does a major disservice to viewers by inaccurately portraying how RU-486 works.

I’m stunned that the CW, a joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros. that actively courts young viewers, would permit the airing of such a false and potentially dangerous episode. Comments can be sent to feedback@CWTV.com.

And you might want to include these links, available from the Emergency Contraception Website, maintained by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals:

Does emergency contraception cause an abortion?
How are emergency contraceptive pills different from the abortion pill (Mifeprex, also referred to as RU-486)?

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