Of all the myths we're busting, virginity is among the biggest, and most persistent. It’s a social construct with no biological or medical definitions, yet heavy religious, personal and social baggage. Historian Anke Bernau and sociologist Laura Carpenter help us unpack the millennia-old obsession with female–and rarely ever male, sexual–purity and its consequences.

Gender violence expert Tiffany Brec and I discuss how accurate, inclusive sex ed reduces harm; why she’s now teaching leadership skills too; what to do when someone calls a man a girl in your presence; and what Tiffany’s wife does to ward off shady men.