Original

Proponents for abstinence only sex-education often find their views rooted in religious beliefs and the traditional idea that sex should be saved for marriage. The most prevalent argument for abstinence-only programs is that the only one hundred percent effective way of preventing pregnancy or the spread of STDs is abstinence. Although this statement is true, it is a very unrealistic way of approaching the situation because “70 percent of U.S. teens have engaged in oral sex by the time they reach 18, and more than 45 percent have had intercourse at least once” (Abstinence Sex Education Does Not Reduce Teen Sexual Activity). It is almost impossible to make a strong argument that not educating teens about ways to engage in safe sex is a good idea considering the fact that the abstinence message is disregarded by nearly half of all teens before they reach 18 and many more as they get older. The Heritage Foundation, a very conservative organization, endorsed by Rush Limbaugh, claims that their studies show abstinence education gets teens to postpone sex (Teen Sex). Despite the fact that the delay of sexual activity is a desired outcome, the significance of this argument is almost completely negated when the majority of these teens will eventually partake in sexual activity without information that could be beneficial to them.

Revision

The most prevalent argument for abstinence-only programs is that the only one hundred percent effective way of preventing pregnancy or the spread of STDs is abstinence. Although this statement is true, it is a very unrealistic way of approaching the situation because “70 percent of U.S. teens have engaged in oral sex by the time they reach 18, and more than 45 percent have had intercourse at least once” (Abstinence Sex Education Does Not Reduce Teen Sexual Activity). These statistics make it almost impossible to make an argument that not teaching students about how protect themselves during sex is a wise decision. Another popular argument for abstinence – only education is that it gets teens to postpone their first sexual experience. The significance of this argument is almost completely negated when the majority of these teens will eventually partake in sexual activity without information that could be beneficial to them.