Animal testing is used in many different industries, mainly medical and cosmetic. Animals are used in order to ensure the products are safe for the use of humans. Medical research has also been carried out on animals, and successfully developed new and effective medical treatments. Some of the tests that these animals are subjected to are very painful, and cruel. This fact has caused multiple groups to come forward in protest of this type of testing. Do the pros outweigh the cons of animal testing?
Pros of Animal Testing
To decide whether animal testing is beneficial or not, it is best that you start learning its positive sides first like the following:
Treatments Developed Have Saved Lives
Animals are the most common subject of medical testing. This includes new drugs as well as possible cures for many different medical problems. Some of the most beneficial things that have come from medical testing on animals are Penicillin, various asthma treatments, and insulin.
Similar DNA Makeup
The majority of the animals used in these types of tests are mammals with a DNA structure very close to a human. This is extremely useful because it gives much more realistic results as to how a human would be affected without having to endanger human lives.
Certain Amount Of Benefits To The Animals
Whenever a test on an animal is successful, the animal reaps the rewards of this. Yes, many of these times the animal is inflicted with the condition on purpose, but once a cure or treatment is found they receive it.
Cons of Animal Testing
Animal Welfare Act Is Bypassed
The Animal Welfare Act, or AWA, was signed in 1966 in order to protect certain animals from cruel treatment. The animals that are chosen for testing are not covered in this act. This is because they carefully choose animals whose rights do not fall under the jurisdiction of the AWA.
Misleading Research
All animal’s bodies do not react the same. This can cause very misleading results. A mouse may react positively to a treatment while a bird may have a negative reaction. These types of treatments are often put on the back burner.
Is Animal Testing Necessary?
Animal testing provides quite a few benefits to the human race. Countless medical treatments have been developed through the use of animal testing. The biggest problems are the ethical ones, which need to be individually addressed rather than animal testing as a whole.
