Animal testing in the United States Essay

Some of the many pros there are for animal testing are scientists and doctors trying to find cures for cancer, aids, and the HIV virus. Also scientists and doctors use animals for research, specifically monkeys because they are the closest thing to humans without using humans. When they test different medications and procedures on animals it is saving human lives because we are finding cures and were not testing the medications on humans so it reduces the death rate. Insulin for diabetes, lifesaving antibiotics, etc. have been made by experimenting on animals. Contagious diseases like smallpox, measles, chickenpox, rubella, polio, rabies, mumps, etc. were brought into control due to vaccines made by carrying out experiments on animals† (Baxamusa). Scientists and doctors use monkets most often because they have 99% the same genes that are similar to humans. â€Å"In animal testing, countless animals are experimented on and then killed after use† (Murnaghan). The cons for animal testing and experimenting are that scientists are killing innocent animals for human help and sometimes the medications don’t cure the problem for humans. Another con is that animal testing is extremely expensive because the animals have to be fed, have shelter, and they have to be cared for properly until they test drugs on the animals. It is also very dangerous to test drugs on animals. Like in the book The Hot Zone they used monkeys to try and find a cure for the Ebola virus. The dangers in that are that the scientists who are working on the monkeys that have the virus must be suited up and prepared for infection. The Ebola virus is the most dangerous because 9 out of 10 people who get it die within a week of being exposed to the virus. Even though there are both sides to this epidemic I don’t think scientists and doctors will stop testing drugs and procedures on animals because of the huge benefit it could and will have on the human race. And they will probably keep testing on animals until they find the cures for the biggest diseases in the world such as aids, HIV, cancer, and of course, the Ebola virus. Works Cited Baxamusa, B. N. (2012, March 26). Animal Testing Pros and Cons. In Buzzle . Retrieved May 8, 2013, from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/animal-testing-pros-and-cons. html Murnaghan, I. (2011, July). Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons. In About Animal Testing. Retrieved May 8, 2013, from http://www. aboutanimaltesting. co. uk/using-animals-testing-pros-versus-cons. html