My thoughts on animal testing in relation to abolition of animal exploitation are this:
Much like others have said, testing medicines/medical procedures on animals is not generally a good model for finding out how such medicines/procedures would benefit human beings. Therefore I'm very much in support of human testing in the form of;
a) people with good mental capability (which, I think might be what fiver was saying) voluteering to be a part of trials etc. (I have done this myself in the past), and;
b) with the use of deceased human bodies. I have been a registered organ donor since the age of 17, and regularly update my contact details with them, and so my organs are not available for medical science, but I am still able to donate my brain to medical science and will be doing so. Then there's;
c) using human stem cell research and similar approaches which do not mean hurting any sentient being, human or non-human.
The Dr Hadwen Trust works towards ending animal research for human medicine, you can read a bit more here: http://www.drhadwentrust.org/
However, though I don't support future animal testing, the fact that some of the medicines I take were developed using animal testing in the past is not something I can change, and of course, better to have a healthy and live vegan who can promote animal testing alternatives, than a very sick or, even a dead one whose opinion will not be heard (cue the "as far as practical and possible" part of the Vegan Society's definition of veganism).
As for cosmetics, or extended use medicines (such as, for example, a painkiller which works perfectly well as it is, being changed in some non-essential way), of course, there is absolutely NO NEED for animal testing and I'd be willing to bet all here feel that way.
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