Making Out Like a Virgin: Sex, Desire & Intimacy After Sexual Trauma is a unique and moving collection of personal nonfiction essays that detail how each writer has moved beyond mere survival of sexual trauma to unapologetically discover a sexually and emotionally thriving life.

Making Out Like a Virgin is not a collection of victim narratives nor a healing workbook. Instead, this book is a bold new addition to generations of stories told by survivors. The mission of these writers is not to recount their individual trauma but to detail what has helped them reclaim both body and sexual desire. Making Out Like a Virgin serves as a metaphor, giving permission to sizzle and seize the moment. By telling their stories, these writers share their strength and successes found somewhere between the big shifts and small intimate moments, inspiring others while furthering their own healing.

The anthology features 17 contributors – women, men, and transgender – from five countries; ranging in age from their mid 20s to their late 60s; hailing from Dubai, Cairo, Dublin, Toronto, Melbourne, and from across the United States.

These writers offer answers to:

What does it mean to not just survive, but to flourish?

Is it possible to ever again feel powerful and confident in one’s own body and within relationships?

Can someone move beyond being limited or controlled by a tragic event?

Making Out Like a Virgin is the collective power of a community of people who have refused to let the circumstances of their younger selves dictate the course of the rest of their lives. The individuals in this community have found the strength to become sexually and emotionally whole – a healing that transcends gender and orientation.