Shortcomings of the Purity Culture Movement

The "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" movement, which was popularized by the book of the same name, was a response to the permissive attitudes towards sexuality that arose in the wake of the "free love" movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The purity culture that grew out of this movement sought to promote traditional values and provide young people with a moral framework for navigating relationships. However, it soon became clear that this approach had unintended consequences, including a lack of understanding about how to form healthy relationships, sexual dysfunctions, and increased rates of sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy. The good intentions behind the purity culture movement were not enough to overcome its shortcomings, and it ultimately resulted in more harm than good. This serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of considering the potential consequences of our actions before we set out to promote any particular worldview.