Cultivating curiosity: Day 2📖

THE EFFECT OF EXCLUDING FEMALE ANIMALS IN NEUROSCIENCE LAB TESTING

Hey guys! Day 2 of the current series. Hope you guys enjoy.

Neuroscience has been around for a long time, but only recently has it been proven that there are biological differences between the brains of males and females. This is due to the lack of testing on female rats in lab experiments.

This bias is extremely obvious in all neuroscience research before the 2000s and to combat this, the NIH has implemented policies that mandate exploring and testing how gender influences the su ject of any such reseaech paper.

Why is this important?

There are significant differences in the functioning and chemical composition between male and female brains. Examples of this include the difference in chemicals produced by the reproductive system such as testosterone and estrogen. However, it is in no way limited to this.

Female brains are now known to store traumatic memories differently compared to male brains, exhibit little impairment for certain things which cause damage in the cognitive function of male brains as well as having a higher excitability and more intensity in certain aspects.

This is extremely important, dictating how neurological medicine would work on different genders. Without testing being done on female specimen, women will not receive the neurological help they need, whether it be for PTSD, depression, etc.

This initiative is part of the collective effort to eradicate the inherent bias againt women's treatment in medicine.

Other example of this bias include :CPR not being practiced on female dolls, making it less likely that people will perform CPR on a woman, seat belt safety testing being done solely on male dolls, neglecting the different bodyweight, build and centre of gravity inherent to a woman body, not to mention the pathetic quality of reproductive healthcare available to woman (including contraceptives, cervical or breast cancer testing and birth aid)

Remember. Health care should be available for all at the best level that can be achieved, regardless of gender.

Source:

https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/lets-just-study-males-and-keep-it-simple-how-excluding-female-animals-from-research-held-neuroscience-back-and-could-do-so-again

Prev post: The reflection of societal fears on horror media

https://www.skool.com/qurios/cultivating-curiosity-day-1?p=79976c53

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