Staff Pick
Lets face it — virginity is made up. Not all women are born with a hymen, so any kind of physical "virginity test" it total bullcrap. Everyone has a slightly different opinion on what counts as sex, anyway. So why is so much pressure placed on girls to maintain their "purity"? Hint — it's the patriarchy. I read this in a college women's studies class, and very much wished I had read it in my 8th grade sex-ed class instead. This well-researched book will creep you out and make you mad, and I highly recommend it. Recommended By Anna M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The United States is obsessed with virginity from 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 in-depth cultural and social analysis, Valenti reveals that powerful messaging on both extremes ranging from abstinence-only curriculum to "Girls Gone Wild" infomercials place a young woman's 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 value and hypocrisy around the notion that girls remain virgins until theyre married by putting into context the historical question of purity, modern abstinence-only 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.
Synopsis
This book is solidly researched, candidly personal, and smartly political. This is a brave call to overhaul the way America measures the worth of all young women. It calls on all of us to put an end to the dangerous burden that fallls on our girls to conform to impossible standards of purity.
Synopsis
From the bestselling author of Sex Object, a searing investigation into American culture's obsession with virginity, and the argument for creating a future where women and girls are valued for more than sexuality The United States is obsessed with virginity--from the media to schools to government agencies. In The Purity Myth, Jessica Valenti argues that the country's intense focus on chastity is damaging to young women. Through in-depth cultural and social analysis, Valenti reveals that powerful messaging on both extremes--ranging from abstinence-only curriculum to "Girls Gone Wild" infomercials--place a young woman's 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 value--and hypocrisy--around the notion that girls remain virgins until they're married by putting into context the historical question of purity, modern abstinence-only 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.
Exclusive Essay
Read exclusive essays by Jessica Valenti from 2009 and 2014