When I share that my son has hemophilia, I often receive a familiar set of questions. “Is he related to a Russian Czar?” No, he isn’t. “Will he eventually outgrow it?” No, he won’t. “Can you wrap him in bubble wrap?” While that thought has certainly crossed my mind, the answer is still no. Rarely does anyone inquire, “Isn’t that a disease caused by incest?” However, thanks to a recent episode of ABC’s Secrets and Lies, in which a character, played by Michael Beach, claimed, “Hemophilia is the nasty byproduct of incest,” I’ve now encountered a new level of ignorance.
It seems that ABC might want to have a serious conversation with my son to clarify that he is not a product of incest. I understand that television networks strive for high ratings to generate revenue, and I acknowledge the concept of creative license that writers frequently employ to enhance a storyline. However, what I fail to comprehend is why the writers thought it was acceptable to propagate such a harmful and inaccurate statement about hemophilia.
It’s unlikely that any writer would dare to suggest, “Homosexuality is a nasty byproduct of incest,” or “HIV/AIDS is a nasty byproduct of incest,” as doing so would undoubtedly provoke widespread outrage. So, why did the writers of Secrets and Lies find it permissible to disseminate blatant misinformation about hemophilia?
Could it be that they believed the general public would not be knowledgeable enough to recognize the inaccuracies surrounding this rare genetic disorder, which affects approximately 1 in 5,000 male births? Perhaps they assumed that the bleeding disorder community, comprising around 20,000 families in the U.S., wouldn’t have the platform to challenge such egregious mischaracterizations. Or maybe they simply failed to utilize a resource as accessible as Google.
A simple search for “hemophilia” would have led them to the Hemophilia Federation of America, which defines the disorder as follows: “It primarily affects males due to its X chromosome linkage. Hemophilia occurs in 1 in 5,000 male births in the U.S., with around 400 new cases annually. Approximately 400,000 individuals worldwide live with hemophilia, including about 20,000 in the United States. All racial and economic groups are equally impacted. Individuals with access to factor replacement therapy can expect to have a normal life expectancy.”
There is no mention of incest as a cause of hemophilia in any reputable medical literature. The misinformation presented in Secrets and Lies is not just unfortunate; it is harmful. If the intent was to belittle the bleeding disorders community, that remains unclear, but one respected leader in the hemophilia community has expressed her dismay: “It’s appalling that, in an age where information is readily available, ABC would allow such a misconception to air. They must correct this error in a significant way, as they have the opportunity to mend the damage inflicted on our community.” – Rachel Adams, Co-leader, National Hemophilia Network.
As of now, there are over 3,000 signatures on a Change.org petition urging ABC to issue a public video apology, and those numbers are rapidly increasing thanks to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. March is Hemophilia Awareness Month, making it an ideal moment for ABC to acknowledge their misstep and apologize, thus becoming an ally to the thousands of families affected by bleeding disorders.
For more information on bleeding disorders, you can visit the Hemophilia Federation of America or The National Hemophilia Foundation. If you’re interested in topics related to home insemination, check out this article on artificial insemination kits for engaging insights.
In summary, the portrayal of hemophilia in mainstream media should be handled with accuracy and care. Misinformation can lead to stigma and misunderstanding, and it is the responsibility of content creators to ensure their narratives do not perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
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