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TOPIC: ARGUMENT188 - A new report suggests that men and women experience pain very differently from one another, and that doctors should consider these differences when prescribing pain medications. When researchers administered the same dosage of kappa opioids-a painkiller-to 28 men and 20 women who were having their wisdom teeth extracted, the women reported feeling much less pain than the men, and the easing of pain lasted considerably longer in women. This research suggests that kappa opioids should be prescribed for women whenever pain medication is required, whereas men should be given other kinds of pain medication. In addition, researchers should reevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women.
WORDS: 344
TIME: 00:30:00

DATE: 2010-7-15 15:28:29

Based on a research, supposing that women tend to feel less pain and have long easing time of pain when take a painkiller, synthesizing several hypotheses, the author claims that all medications should be reevaluated their effects on men versus women. However, those supporting evidences contain several logical flaws, rendering the conclusion based on them unconvincing.

When evaluating the results of research, one must take into consideration how it is conducted. The author fails to recognize different body conditions of the subjects and the influence of psychological action. It's possible that those women are in better health or have stronger will to tolerate pain than the men in research. Or there is some psychological hint about the possible personal different feeling of pain to the subjects. After all, the reliability of the research is severely undermined by its relatively small sample size. Additionally, the reliability of the premise that men and women experience pain differently is questionable without strong support evidences.


Another problem with the argument involves the suggestion that prescribe kappa opioids (ko) for women whenever pain medication is required, whereas given other kinds of pain medication for men. The author overlooks the fact that kappa may work well with toothache but most likely not so well with other pains of women. And this may be the opposite with men. Besides, does ko have side-effects, especially when applied to pregnant women or little girls. In each situation, the author’s suggestion amounts to a poor advice.

Even one accepts that ko works different on men and women, the author’s assumption that all medication effects on male and female should be reevaluated is still questionable. After all, not all the property of individual can typical a category. Ko’s works different doesn’t mean all the painkillers will work different, let alone all the medications, absent supporting evidence. Even if medication effects tend to be different on male and female, it doesn't necessitate reevaluation of effects of all medications on men versus women.

The argument with all its evidence may appear logical at first glance, but cannot stand close scrutiny. To persuade the medicine field to revaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women, the argument’s author had better conduct some studies to prove all the medication works different on men and women and provide evidence supporting the necessary of revaluation such differences.