You deserve to understand your body, embrace your sexuality, and find joy without shame.
For those raised in purity culture, messages about sex were rooted in fear, silence, and control. Virginity was prized above all else, sexual desire was condemned, and women, queer, and trans people were often left shrouded in shame. The results have been devastating: fear of intimacy, painful or unsatisfying sex, and a lingering sense of brokenness.
In The Purity Culture Recovery Guide, sex educator Erica Smith-founder of the Purity Culture Dropout® program-offers the comprehensive, inclusive, and trauma-informed sex education many never received. Drawing on more than two decades of professional experience, Smith replaces shame with empathy, self-compassion, and empowerment. She provides medically accurate information about bodies, birth control, pleasure, communication, consent, and abortion, alongside affirming discussions of gender, sexuality, and relationships.
Smith's approach is both practical and healing. Readers will learn how to set boundaries, challenge damaging beliefs, explore their own sexual values, and build a new sexual ethic based on respect, autonomy, and joy. Most of all, this book insists that there is nothing wrong with you.
Whether you are beginning your recovery from purity culture or seeking to deepen your sexual self-understanding, The Purity Culture Recover Guide is an essential, shame-free guide to reclaiming pleasure and rewriting your sexual story.

- 305 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- CONTENTS
- List of Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- The Truth About Purity Culture
- Confronting Purity Culture Values
- Defining Sexuality and Sexual Health
- Bodies
- Attraction, Desire, and Arousal
- Pleasure, Fantasy, and Masturbation
- What is Sex and HowDo People Have It?
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
- Sexual Healthcare
- Abortion and Reproductive Justice
- Sexual Communication and Consent
- Casual Sex and Dating
- Pornography and Sex Work
- Your Sexual Ethic and Sex-Positive Reframes
- Conclusion: You Got This!
- Appendix A: Your Sexual Bill of Rights
- Appendix B: Resources for Further Learning and Support
- Notes
- Index
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access The Purity Culture Recovery Guide by Erica Smith in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Medicine & Religion. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.