Is it ethical to use animals in scientific research?

Is it ethical to use animals in scientific research?

INTRODUCTION

Each year animals suffer as scientists exploit them in biological experiments concerning medical value for human health values. Animals are used in the development of vaccines and pharmaceuticals as demanded in clinical ethics. Besides, animals are exploited in ultimate biomedical research. The biomedical research business is overwhelmingly growing in size even though the accumulated profits and financial gains are minimal. Animal experiments have led to advanced knowledge of human and animal health and diseases. Discovery of the medicinal value of insulin, antibiotics, organ transplant, and vaccines have been made through researching animal specimens. Experimenting animals in laboratories and research centers have restored hope to many suffering cancer, heart failure, and other diseases. Alternative research methods fail to stimulate humans and the whole body the same way animal research extracts do and, therefore, not reliable.

Diseases such as cystic fibrosis and asthma involve complex physiological processes that are only possible through research on a living animal. It is very ethical and legal to test the medicinal value of a particular drug on animals for safety before the drug is administered to human beings (Bailey, Thew & Balls, 2015). In case of available alternatives in scientific research, animals are excluded. An apparent and independent reason must be present for researchers to consider getting a specimen for experimentation from animals. Again, through testing the medicinal value of any researched substance, researchers can minimize risks that could have occurred when the content was tested to human beings. It helps reduce human fatalities and side effects.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Exploitation of non-humans in methodical research experimentation has long been in a feud among experts. Arguably, it is unethical to exploit or make an animal suffer solely for human benefits. Also, the total elimination of animals from the lab for scientific research would impede vital understandings of health and diseases and, therefore, it will distract the progress of fresh and critical treatments (Bailey, 2017). Using animals in scientific research reduces the worth of life of these animals. And thus, thorough conventions need to be taken into place to minimize suffering and carry out experimentation in a humane way. Specific measures need to be followed to mitigate the harm experienced by animals during biomedical research and testing. Scientists should consider replacing animals with cell physiological culture, computer paradigms, or human volunteers instead of non-humans where possible. A few numbers of animals should be used for research through improvements of techniques and shared information with other researchers to avoid repetitive experiments. It is essential also to refine the way to care for animals. Care should be done to minimize suffering in the form of stress and pain by deploying invasive techniques where needed and improving medical handling and living conditions.

Scientists have used their human and animal health and disease’s knowledge through intensive study of model organisms. Medicinal values in insulin, vaccines, organ transplantation, and antibiotics have all been a breakthrough through the experiments involving animals. Scientific research involving animals perform a vibrant role in medicinal exploration that brings the hope of those suffering terminal diseases such as cancer disease, heart failure, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. New medicinal drugs and treatments discovered by researchers have been made possible owing to aids in animal experimentations. Animal researches have resulted in advanced and improved understandings of human and biology and ensure effectiveness and safety during treatments.

THESIS STATEMENT

The Animals Act of 1986 required researchers using animals to fully assess the researches in terms of any suffering or pain caused to the animals. Analysis using animals has never been a light activity as researchers are obliged to carry out their experiments with intense care to exclude or purge suffering. Painkillers and anesthetics are used to fight pain during researches. It would be unethical to get rid of animals in the lab as it would dramatically reduce the rate of developing new knowledge and flow of treatments to those people desperately needing treatment. Alternative methods would be administering drugs directly to human beings, which is a challenging move as very few would volunteer to be the tests.

Quite a good number of animals are killed for animal consumption weighing out the number used for scientific research (Peggs & Smart, 2017). Animal-based research is a mandatory and legal part of drug testing. It, therefore, becomes ethical to use animals in the lab for scientific discoveries and the benefits of humankind. Animal researches, together with other forms of analyses such as computer modeling, cell structures, and human clinical trials, are essential in modern biomedical discoveries. Animal research for medicinal value has long been a crucial element part of science and has made advancements in our understanding of living things behavior and functions.

ETHICAL THEORY SUPPORTING ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Animals are used as test subjects in many medical institutions. Animal experimentation has much influenced the knowledge about human diseases or for potential testing treatments in human beings. Some living organisms, such as mice and rats, piece many physiological and genomic correspondences with human beings. Therefore, incredible help is obtained from animal experimentation fir further medicinal research. However, there is a heated debate about the ethics of animal experimentation. Some argue that experimenting on animals should end as it is unscrupulous to treat nonhumans as tools for further medicinal discoveries and to further knowledge. In this view, animals should be allowed to have the same right of living as a case in human beings, free from pain and suffering. Despite the allegations mentioned above on animal life, it still stands ethical to use animals for experimentations provided intensive care is taken when handling these animals. Enormous scientific resources provided animals forces the continued use of animal models in laboratories for scientific experimentations. Instead, progress has been made to improve the laboratory conditions for animals such as the use of anesthesia, and require trained personnel to carry out the experiments and handle the animals.

Some professionals argue that animals cannot be equated and be morally considered equal as human beings. The cornerstone of this argument supported the benefits human beings get from using animals in experimentations. Philosophers of moral support have common traits arguments supporting the practice. These philosophers fit to a shared moral society and procure specific responsibilities towards them and assume some privileges. Morally, human capacities have manipulated intellectual notions through personal sovereignty. Animals lack the perceptive aptitudes of human beings and therefore fail to possess full independence (May, 2015). The situation eliminates them to the moral community leaving human beings with a limited obligation towards animals.

Animals fail to have the same rights as humans, and therefore, researchers are permitted to use them as specimens for researches. The rage at which experimentation harm animals, is less morally noteworthy as compared to the potential values in human beings (Meijer, 2016). Humankinds have moral standing than animals and fundamentally having more rights as compared to animals. Potentially, social benefits outweigh potential violations of animal rights. However, using animals for scientific exploration should be minimized as far as possible. There should be communication amid examinations to avoid carrying out similar experiments. Experiments should not be unnecessarily replicated and ensure the research are not already available in other research centers.

Similarly, researches using animals should be handled in the highest standards to ensure all the extracted information is useable. Providing a conducive environment free from diseases will guarantee every animal targeted count in the research. Besides, well-structured studies and suitable statistical data analysis will help curtail the number of animals targeted for use to give statistically significant results. It is essential to ensure the best probable treatment of the non-humans during the research. They are minimizing pains and suffering as possible through the use of anesthetic drugs. The study should also last for the shortest time possible so that the experienced suffering or disease to the animal can be euthanized.

RECOMMENDATION

Researchers committee and Animal Rights Act of 1986 have recommended the customization of animals in the research centers. It is recommended that responsible scientists using animals to care and adhere to the principle that these animals be treated humanely. Laws and regulations that inhibit and discourage carrying scientific research using animals are balanced to ensure the availability of animals in research centers to effectively continue with research. It is a belief that ongoing measures will continue to ensure that they only offer protection to animals and at the same time, permit valid scientific research to go on.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, majority support the benefits stemmed from animals. Individuals present varying perspectives on the issue of experiments using animals. Few people resent the use of nonhumans in scientific research, whereas the vast majority supports this criterion for the favor and appropriateness for human benefits. As long as maximum care is taken and nonhumans are subjected to less pain, medical research centers should continue using animals for the benefits of human beings. Decisions supporting experimenting using animals should be based on ultimate reasons and values. The case supporting the analysis not only base it on the desire for scientific research advancement but it is also based on the concern to those who suffer immensely on conditions of drug abuse, schizophrenia, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases that research may help prevent, alleviate or cure. It is of no sense to sacrifice future health of human beings and well-being by not using animals in medical research studies.

Animal research has widely helped human beings as well as animals and will enthusiastically continue to offer benefits now and in coming days. Human beings are morally obliged to better the condition of humankind. And therefore, animal research forms the best available method to reach the fundamental goal to better human health and advance in scientific research. Provided great techniques through highly trained personnel are deployed in research centers, it is recommended for scientists to ensure the well-being of animals in the study while minimizing intense suffering and pain to the animal.