The Sex Talk

A self-guided reflection workbook for Muslims to break the ice around uncomfortable conversations and create safe, healthy relationships. Written in collaboration with various experts, this resource intends to shift the conversation around sex. We believe all Muslims have a right to access accurate reproductive and sexual health information in a way that's empowering, gender equitable, and free of judgment. This resource will allow you to think critically not just about the topics of sex and healthy relationships, and violence, but also deeply reflect on how our faith and cultural identities intersect with our sexuality and the decisions we make regarding sex and relationships. "The Sex Talk fills an urgent need for frank, accessible, and non-judgmental information for Muslims, especially teenagers and young adults, about sex, bodies, and relationship. The authors chose a capacious approach, respecting that their readers will come to the topic with differing levels of anatomical knowledge and sexual experience; divergent relationships to Islamic texts, traditions, and norms; and diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. A kind of Our Bodies, Our Muslim Selves for contemporary American Muslims, this book is an essential resource." Kecia Ali, Professor of Religion, Boston University & Author of Sexual Ethics & Islam "As a Queer Muslim, I needed this groundbreaking book growing up to make me feel seen...The diverse experiences that Muslims have with their sexuality are encompassed through in-depth research, testimonials, and centering of Black, Queer, and marginalized Muslim experiences. " Shariq Farooqi, Johns Hopkins University Masters of Public Health "As a Pakistani Muslim survivor of gender-based violence, reading this book overwhelmed me with emotion. I truly believe that this book will be a powerful tool for personal and collective liberation and justice." Maheen Kaleem, Grantmakers for Girls of Color, Vice President of Programs and Operations "This book is a comprehensive, medically aligned, and culturally responsive overview of diverse sexual and spiritual experiences among Muslim communities. It is an invaluable resource that nuances the conversations around sex to account for the complexity of lived realities that are often conflated with cultural influences and colonial legacies. By grounding sex in Islamic values and challenging cultural notions of shame and stigma, this book reimagines sex as an empowering act of worship by initiating an open and judgment-free dialogue around sexual experiences." Qudsia Saeed, American University Muslim Student Association President "Conservative Christian notions of sexual piety have cultivated a U.S. culture of guilt, shame, and blame, especially targeted to women and girls. Because that culture has been perpetuated by the use of myths and untruths instead of sexual education, and the proliferation of dualistic approaches to spirituality and sexuality, women and girls who have committed their lives to be guided by their faith have been most adversely impacted. By interweaving diverse interpretations of Islamic law with the realities of people's lives, this book offers significant insights and practical information that will help Muslims integrate sexuality and spirituality in ways that are both healthy and life-affirming. The information provided in Sex Talk is so comprehensive that it is valuable for both Muslim and non-Muslim women and girls." Rev. Dr. Cari Jackson, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice