Argument188 【7\8\9\10】第四次作业 7.24

atreusUID: 2471951

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: 413          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2008-7-24 20:10:31

The argument makes the suggestion that different prescription pain medications according to the sex and reevaluation the effects of all medications on men versus women. To support the argument the author cites a research about the kappa opioids effect in the case of wisdom teeth extraction. I find this advice specious on several aspects.

The threshold problem with the argument is that the research results are statistically unreliable. The number of participants, 28 men and 20 women, might constitute an insufficiently small sample to draw any reliable conclusion about the painkiller's effect on different gender. Moreover, the argument provides no information about the health situation and character of these participants. It is possible that the person have the inflamed gum characterized by pain, redness, swelling when extracting the wisdom teeth, who may suffer more pain than the person without inflammation. Even if taking the same the dosage of kappa opioids, the easing of pain lasted considerably longer in those health people. Besides, the sensitive person may exaggerate the feeling the pain than the actual. Without ruling other possible factors, the author could not convince me that different genders experience pain differently.

Secondly, even if assuming that the pain experience differences between two genders, it is unfairly suggesting that kappa opioids be prescribed for women whereas men should be given other kinds of pain medication. Lack of evidence to confirm the conclusion, it is entirely possible that other kinds of pain medication should not ease the pain longer as well as alleviate the pain feeling.

Thirdly, it goes too far away to reevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women. On one hand, some diseases infect people no matter their age, sex and race. Medicines are prevalently used to treat these diseases such as bacteria cold and cough, which need not to be reevaluated on men versus women. On the other hand, some diseases happen exclusively on single gender, such as testicle cancer in men and the mastitis in women. It is no meaning and ridiculous to reevaluate the effect of these medications among the both sexes.

In sum, the suggestion for the prescription according to gender and the reevaluation the effects of all medications is not well supported in the argument. To better valuate the argument, the author should provide more information about the situation in the participants and the superior effect of other kinds of painkiller on men. Yet, it is unnecessary to reevaluate all medications on men versus women.