The Purity Myth

The Purity Myth
Author Jessica Valenti
Country United States
Language English
Subject Virginity, feminism
Published 2009, Seal Press
Media type Print, e-book, audiobook
Pages 272
ISBN 1580052533

The Purity Myth is a 2009 book by Jessica Valenti.[1] It was first released onto hardback on March 24, 2009 through Seal Press. The book contains research by Valenti that she asserts shows that there is a prevalent false notion promoted within the United States that a woman's worth is dictated by whether or not she is sexually active, implying that the loss of virginity can affect her negatively.[2] A DVD tie-in titled The Purity Myth: The Virginity Movement's War Against Women was released in 2011.[3]

Summary

In the book, Valenti discusses various different elements of society that promote chastity and discourage pre-marital sexual activity in women and teenage girls. She asserts that many sex education programs in the United States will only promote abstinence-only education, which she feels gives an unhealthy attitude towards sex and women. Valenti also asserts that the myth uses virginity as an "easy ethical road map" in order to teach women that, unlike the ability to abstain from having sex, their beliefs and actions hold no bearing to their value as human beings.[4] Valenti does not discourage chastity but shows disapproval over virginity pledge programs such as purity balls and the Silver Ring Thing for the aforementioned reasons.

Valenti also argues that the over-emphasizing and idealization of virginity promotes the Madonna–whore complex, which would make many women and teen girls choose to be hypersexualized as they cannot live up to the expectations placed upon them.[5] She also states that she believes that the concept of virginity is a myth, as the actual definition of the term is abstract and differs depending on the person, religion, or situation. Valenti explains that she was unable to find an exact medical definition of virginity in the Harvard Medical School library and that the popular concept of virginity did not fit both genders.[6]

In other media

Commentators have linked Valenti's views on virginity to discussion of sexual assault victims and the Rape and pregnancy controversies in United States elections, 2012.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Lynn (July 22, 2009). "The Stork Is Dead; Four recent books pull back the curtain on human sexual relations.". Washington Post. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  2. ↑ Kaplan, C (2010). "Book review: Valenti J, The purity myth: how America's obsession with virginity is hurting young women". Nursing Ethics 17 (6): 793–794. doi:10.1177/09697330100170061402. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Riscol, Lara (2013). "Her Hymen Goes to Washington: Review of The Purity Myth DVD". American Journal of Sexuality Education 8 (1-2): 97–103. doi:10.1080/15546128.2012.740968. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  4. ↑ (2009). The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women, p. 26. Seal Press. ISBN 978-1-58005-253-5.
  5. ↑ "No such thing as virginity, author says". Today. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  6. ↑ Clark-Flory, Tracy. "The virginity fetish". Salon. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  7. ↑ E.J. Graff (January 4, 2013). "Purity Culture Is Rape Culture". Prospect (magazine) . line feed character in |work= at position 22 (help)
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