The Purity Myth: How Americas Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women

From the bestselling author of Sex Object, a searing investigation into American cultures obsession with virginity, and the argument for creating a future where women and girls are valued for more than sexualityThe United States is obsessed with virginityfrom the media to schools to government agencies. In The Purity Myth, Jessica Valenti argues that the countrys intense focus on chastity is damaging to young women. Through indepth cultural and social analysis, Valenti reveals that powerful messaging on both extremesranging from abstinenceonly curriculum to Girls Gone Wild infomercialsplace a young womans worth entirely on her sexuality. Morals are therefore linked purely to sexual behavior, rather than values like honesty, kindness, and altruism. Valenti sheds light on the valueand hypocrisyaround the notion that girls remain virgins until theyre married by putting into context the historical question of purity, modern abstinenceonly education, pornography, and public punishments for those who dare to have sex. The Purity Myth presents a revolutionary argument that girls and women are overly valued for their sexuality, as well as solutions for a future without a damaging emphasis on virginity.