Substandard research or conspiracy?

The modern history of contraception starts with the liberation of Western women and ends in a right wing American conspiracy to prevent population growth in the third world--at least according to the recent Horizon documentary, “The Human Laboratory.”

We are introduced to the long term contraceptive implant Norplant used by liberated Western women and claimed to be “the most widely studied contraceptive method.” Texan ophthalmologist Dr Tang presents a woman with “pseudotumor cerebri”; less threateningly known as benign intracranial hypertension. Two retinal photographs are mistakenly described as “cross sections of the optic nerve.” Dr Tang asks, “could Norplant have caused this?” but concedes that, although there is a possibility of a link, …