Serving as a subject for medical research can provide a patient access to new treatments but also can subject the patient to risks. Restriction to males of the patient base on which data are collected results in inadequate science. Government-sponsored medical research is often done in military hospitals or prisons that hold only male residents. The training of male and female scientists does not differ according to their sex.
First legislator: Medical research is predominantly done on groups of patients that include only men. For example, the effects of coffee drinking on health are evaluated only for men, and studies are lacking on hormone treatments for older women. Government-sponsored medical research should be required to include studies of women. Second legislator: Considerations of male / female balance such as this are inappropriate with respect to research; they have no place in science.
Which one of the following rejoinders, if true, most directly counters the second legislator's objection?