Author(s): Sophia Smith Galer

Sex & Relationships

Why do so many of us know so little about sex? Clueless about everything from her own anatomy to relationships, Sophia Smith Galer’s sex education classes left her with more questions than answers. But what she didn’t know was that this lack of knowledge was about to turn her life upside down – as it does to countless teenagers in the UK every year. Thanks to inadequate sex education, many of us are finishing school knowing more about STDs and condoms than the bigger sexual picture – our own anatomy, pleasure and consent. From students who feel pressurised into early sexual experiences, to the women terrified they’ve ‘ruined’ their own bodies from sex, Smith Galer shares the eye-opening stories of ordinary people affected by sex misinformation and finds that many of us are unable to access the world of sexual freedom that we have been promised. In Losing It, Smith Galer draws on her own experiences to uncover a world that subscribes to a wide catalogue of sex myths, and unravels a toxic web of virginity anxiety, judgement about our bodies, and shame around our decisions. She also speaks to the new generation of sex-educators who are challenging this status quo and empowering people from all backgrounds to rewrite the story of their sex life.