Have you ever sat through a youth pastor talking about sex with his "smokin' hot wife" while telling everyone else that they'd be damned to hell for eternity if they had sex before marriage? Did you ever hear someone compare a sexually active young person to a chewed up piece of gum or a picked apart flower? Were you told that even thinking sexual thoughts was going to lead you down a road of irredeemable sin?
If you answered yes to these questions and you 1) don't believe this shit anymore 2) are craving actual sex education that doesn't involve religion 3) are honestly still pissed at how those messages and lack of real sex ed affected you...
Then you might be a Purity Culture Dropout.™
In 2019 I began focusing my sex ed work on people raised in purity culture. Under the Purity Culture Dropout™ umbrella, I've offered group education programs, intensive individual work, support groups, webinars on a variety of topics, the Sexual Values Workbook, and a One Day Intensive. I also run an Instagram account where I share education, encouragement, and wisdom for people raised in purity culture.
I've learned a few important things:
1) Community is the best way to navigate change, achieve results and transformation, and build new practices and habits.
2) Many people who left purity culture or their religious homes really miss community! It's hard being a purity culture dropout when you feel alone.
3) The programs I've run that give people the chance to interact with each other (even the chats that occur during my Zoom webinars!) are hands down the best.
4) Social media isn't the best place to find that connection. There are lurkers, trolls, ads, noise, and often the worry that interacting with my content isn't private. What if following my work doesn't feel safe, and commenting to share your experiences certainly doesn't?
I get it. That's why I created this community.
Biweekly drop in support group space where you can connect with others, facilitated by Erica
Biweekly sex ed lessons (live & recorded)
Weekly values exploration prompts
Weekly Sex Ed Encyclopedia lessons (mini written lessons)
Ask A Sex Educator? Feature: Ask me anything and I'll answer (keeping your question anonymous if you'd prefer)
Guest teachers on specialty topics
Prompts and questions for discussion
An open community forum where you can connect and share about anything you want in a secure space
The 2023 PCD Resource Guide
The revised and updated 2023 Sexual Values Workbook
This is a paid, members-only space securely hosted by The Mighty Networks platform. The public cannot participate or view what happens inside our community.
Here are a few of the things you’ll be able to do as a member of The Purity Culture Dropout™ Community:
No matter your story, you are welcome here. I commit to providing you with the comprehensive information, tools, and guidance you need to understand how your body works and embrace a healthy and balanced approach to sexuality—one that works for YOU.
I also want you to know that healing from purity culture is a long game. I wish I had a magic pill to give people that would free them from all their sexual shame and purity culture-related hang-ups, but alas, I don’t! Healing takes work, but it’s absolutely worth it. If you feel like purity culture has affected your ability to have a healthy sexual relationship with yourself or others, you are not alone. Be patient with yourself. Learning comprehensive information about sexuality might be just one piece of your healing.
Sex education is life changing. I believe it with my whole heart, and I’ve seen it time and time again in over two decades of work. I've seen so many people become more confident, better informed, more certain, less affected by shame, and better prepared for relationships through good sex education. You can be one of those people.