The Purity Myth: how America's Obsession with virginity is hurting young women by Jessica Valenti - 263 pages
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.
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