88.A new report suggests thatmen and women experience pain very differently from one another, and thatdoctors should consider these differences when prescribing pain medications.When researchers administered the same dosage of kappa opioids-a painkiller-to28 men and 20 women who were having their wisdom teeth extracted, the womenreported feeling much less pain than the men, and the easing of pain lastedconsiderably longer in women. This research suggests that kappa opioids shouldbe prescribed for women whenever pain medication is required, whereas menshould be given other kinds of pain medication. In addition, researchers shouldreevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women.
In this argument, the arguer claims that Kappa opioids (KO) should be prescribed forwomen but men should be given other ones
whenever painmedication is required.
Tosupport the conclusion, the arguer cites a new report involving 28 men and20 women who took KO when having their wisdom teeth extracted.
It has been shown that the women feel much less painthan the men
do, and the easing of pain lastedlonger for the women
as compared to men in thisreport. However, the argument is not convincingbecause of some flaws as follows.
Firstly, the arguercommits a fallacy of hasty generalization. Since the study involves only 48 samples,
it isimpossible to draw any conclusion about the general population
fromit.
Unless it can be shown that 28 men and 20 women in the study
are representative of the overall womenand men generally, the conclusion that the women shouldbe prescribed KO whenever pain medication is required, whereas men should begiven other ones, is completely unwarranted.
In fact, in the face of such limited sample, it isfallacious to draw any conclusion at all.
Secondly, another problem is that the argument neglectsother possible reasons for these women reported feeling less pain than the men.
It is absolutely possible that the women in the study might have ahigher-than-average pain threshold, whereas the men in the survey might have a lower-than-average pain threshold.
Or perhaps
some of the men mighthave eaten certain foods or other drugs counteracting the effect of KO whilesome of the women took other medications as well to help relieve the pain. Overall,the study
should be
conductedunder the same background in which all factors are identical on men and women.
Thirdly, even if KO is more effective for women than for men
toameliorate the pain,
it is stillhasty to reach the conclusion that men should take another painkillers. Itis entirely possible that KO is still the most effective pain
killer for men.
In addition, it can not be drawn aconclusion that KO should be prescribed for all kinds of pain in women althoughit is effective to relieve the pain derived from wisdom teeth extraction. Furthermore,even though it isthe case that KO has a different action on pain in men and women,
it is unnecessary to reevaluate the effects of all medicationson men versus women. It is common sense that painkiller is just one type ofmedications.
It is unfounded to deduce any general conclusion basedon the survey only about painkiller.
In sum, the argument is not persuasive as itstand. To uphold it, the arguer should provide more detailsabout this investigation. For example, whether or not48 people in the study are representative of the overall women andmen generally, and how the study was performed in acontrolled environment where all other factors possibly affecting pain
were excluded.
