The Long Reach of Purity Culture: Sex, Gender, and the Body

About this episode

The episode explores the lasting impacts of purity culture on sexual health and relationships through discussions with sex therapists.

In the first half of a compelling two-part series, Andrew and Laura are joined by sex therapists and researchers Julia Postema and Jeremiah Gibson to unpack the enduring grip of purity culture. Moving beyond simple deconstruction, the conversation explores how high-control religious environments leave lasting "body memories" that manifest as sexual pain, orgasm gaps, and anxious attachment patterns decades later. From the political "Industrial Complex" of the 1990s to the modern-day "manosphe...

People in this episode

Hosts: Andrew, Laura

Guests: Julia Postema, Jeremiah Gibson

Topics covered

• purity culture
• sex therapy
• gender
• body memories
• high-control religious environments
• sexual pain
• anxious attachment

Keywords

• purity culture
• sexual pain
• orgasm gaps
• anxious attachment
• high-control religion
• body memories
• sex therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery

More episodes of Sunday School Dropouts

• Wrapping Up Purity Culture · June 2, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Holy Disobedience with Melissa Duge Spiers · May 26, 2026 · 57 min
• Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby! (Re-air) · May 19, 2026 · 1h 13m
• Transitioning out of Purity Culture (Re-Release) · May 12, 2026 · 1h 4m
• The Manosphere and the Fundamentalism Pipeline · May 5, 2026 · 1h 26m
• The Secret Psychology of Mormon Wives: Marriage, Conflict, and the Taylor & Dakota Dynamic · April 28, 2026 · 1h 19m