Bio
Hi! I’m Erica Smith (she/her). I am an experienced, award winning, and internationally recognized sexuality educator who provides public and private sexuality education, consulting, training, and speaking. I am frequently sought out as an expert on various sexuality topics by major media platforms, podcasts, and publications. My main area of focus is sex education for people leaving high-control religions.
Erica shows “expertise, empathy, generosity of spirit, and the ability to educate without any hint of condescension.”
-Devi Abrams and Kelly Wolfe, hosts of Where Do We Go From Here? Pod
I have been a sex educator for 23 years, receiving my BA in Women’s Studies from Penn State University and my Master of Education from Widener University's Center for Human Sexuality Studies.
I developed the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program in 2019 to help people learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture- sex ed that is accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive. Under the PCD name, I provide intensive individual work, a private community for sex ed and purity culture healing, support groups, webinars, one day intensives, and more. (Interested? Find out more here!)
I provide one-on-one education and consulting sessions to anyone seeking sex ed support, and to established and emerging professionals. I am also an experienced speaker and presenter. (Find out more here.)
For the majority of my career, I provided comprehensive sex education, HIV prevention services, and support to young women and LGBTQ+ youth detained in Philadelphia’s juvenile justice system.
I have also supported transgender youth and their families since 2002.
My areas of expertise are sex education after high control religion, purity culture recovery, queer health, LGBTQ+ issues, adolescent sexuality and sexual health, LGBTQ+ youth, the sexual health needs of justice-involved youth, and sex education for young people.
I’m skilled in writing, training, group facilitation, curriculum creation, and program implementation. Do you need help with a sex ed related project? Just ask!
The cornerstone of my work is the belief that access to compassionate, comprehensive, evidence-based sexuality education is a key component to wellness and equality for all. I have seen the life-changing impacts of sex ed in my work, whether my clients are trans teens in detention, “late bloomers” coming out of purity culture, or middle aged Christian moms.
I am based in Philadelphia, PA but conduct work virtually with clients all over the world.
