ASEXUALITY

'Asexuality' is a sexual orientation describing individuals who do not experience sexual attraction. Asexuality as a human sexual orientation has only been recognized and defined in a few academic studies since the 1980s, and a community of self-identified asexuals has only coalesced since the start of the 21st century, aided by the widening popularity of online communities.
Note that asexuality is not the same as celibacy, which is the deliberate abstention from sexual activity; many asexuals do have sex, and most celibates are not asexual.

Contents

Research

Community

Relationships

Criticism

Famous asexuals

Asexuality in culture

See also

References

External links

Research

Research exploring asexuality, or even taking asexuality into account, is a relatively recent development in the study of sex. Many of the larger studies in this area are only now being planned and carried out, so the body of work is growing at a rapid pace.
Alfred Kinsey, the father of sexology, was aware of an asexual element in the population but did little to investigate it. His Kinsey scale of sexual orientation consisted of a single axis lying between heterosexuality and homosexuality with bisexuality in between, and thus left no place for asexuality. In the Kinsey Reports of 1948 and 1953, subjects were scaled from "0" (completely heterosexual) to "6" (completely homosexual), but a separate category of "X" was created for those with "no socio-sexual contacts or reactions."^[1][2]
The first explorations of asexuality were based on the presumed existence of an asexual demographic, inferred from a new understanding of human sexual variability brought by researchers such as Kinsey. A 1977 paper entitled ''Asexual and Autoerotic Women: Two Invisible Groups'', by Myra T. Johnson, may provide the first such conjecture. Johnson defines asexuals as those men and women "who, regardless of physical or emotional condition, actual sexual history, and marital status or ideological orientation, seem to ''prefer'' not to engage in sexual activity." Johnson reveals no firsthand knowledge of or contact with asexual individuals, but portrays them as invisible, "oppressed by a consensus that they are nonexistent," and left behind by both the sexual revolution and feminist movement.^[3]
In a 1980 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Michael D. Storms of the University of Kansas outlined his own reimagining of the Kinsey scale. Like Kinsey, Storms gauged orientation based on fantasizing and eroticism rather than actual sexual activity. Storms, however, placed the tendencies of hetero-eroticism and homo-eroticism on separate axes rather than at two ends of a single scale; this allows for a distinction between bisexuality (exhibiting both hetero- and homo-eroticism in degrees comparable to hetero- or homosexuals, respectively) and asexuality (exhibiting a level of homo-eroticism comparable to a heterosexual, and a level of hetero-eroticism comparable to a homosexual: namely, little to none). Storms conjectured that many researchers following Kinsey's model could be mis-categorizing asexual subjects as bisexual, because both were simply defined by a lack of preference for gender in sexual partners.^[4]
The first empirical data about an asexual demographic appeared in 1994, when a research team in the United Kingdom carried out a comprehensive survey of 18,876 British residents, spurred by the need for sexual information in the wake of the AIDS epidemic. The survey included a question on sexual attraction, to which a significant 1% of respondents replied that they had "never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all."^[5] This phenomenon was seized upon by the Canadian sexuality researcher Dr. Anthony Bogaert, who explored the asexual demographic in a series of studies.^[6][7] The 1% statistic from the UK survey is the one most frequently quoted as the possible incidence of asexuality in the general population, though it should be considered very tentative. Assuming this statistic holds true, the world population of asexual people would stand at over 60 million.
The Kinsey Institute sponsored another small survey on the topic in 2007, which found that self-identified asexuals "reported significantly less desire for sex with a partner, lower sexual arousability, and lower sexual excitation but did not differ consistently from non-asexuals in their sexual inhibition scores or their desire to masturbate."^[8]
Though comparisons with non-human sexuality are problematic, a series of studies done on ram mating preferences at the United States Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho starting in 2001 found that about 2% to 3% of the animals being studied had no apparent interest in mating with either sex; the researchers classified these animals as asexual, but found them to be otherwise healthy with no recorded differences in hormone levels.^[9][10]

Community

Running at a very low percentage in the general population and lacking a sexual incentive to seek each other out, asexuals have never historically existed as a community. The appearance of self-aware community and group identity has come only with the growth of the internet, which has allowed asexuals from around the world to make contact with one another and make their presence felt. This has also enabled asexuals to link up with the larger queer community.
The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) was founded in 2001 with two distinct goals: creating public acceptance and discussion of asexuality and facilitating the growth of an asexual community. Since that time it has grown to host the world’s largest online asexual community, serving as an informational resource for people who are asexual and questioning, their friends and families, academic researchers and the press. Members of AVEN have been involved in media coverage spanning television, print, and radio, and participate in lectures, conferences and Pride events around the world.
As an emerging community with a broad definition, there is an enormous amount of variation among people who identify as asexual. Some asexuals may masturbate as a solitary form of release, while others do not feel a need to. The need or desire for masturbation is commonly referred to as a sex drive and disassociated from sexual attraction; asexuals who masturbate consider it to be a normal product of a human body and not a sign of latent sexuality. Asexuals also differ in their feelings towards performing sex acts: some are indifferent and may even have sex for the benefit of a partner, while others are more strongly averse to the idea.

Relationships

Asexual people have the same emotional needs as everyone else, and vary just as widely in how they fulfill these needs.
''Romantic attraction'' is a term used within the asexual community to describe the desire for, fantasy of, or propensity towards romantic love, often directed at people of genders falling within an affectional orientation. Many asexuals may also call themselves straight, gay, or bi, using the terms in a strictly affectional sense, or alternatively as ''hetero-'', ''homo-'', or ''bi-romantic''. Asexuals may fall in love with and potentially marry other people of all sexual orientations. A relationship between an asexual and a sexual person may or may not involve sexual activity. As in any relationship where there is a discrepancy in sexual desires, this may cause problems, but with a great deal of understanding on the part of both partners compromises can often be reached.
If an asexual individual's lack of sexual desire or response does cause dysfunction in a relationship with a sexual person, this is medically defined as Primary (not caused by another condition) Inhibited Sexual Desire (ISD), also known as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder or Sexual Aversion Disorder. It should be noted that the medical community only considers ISD a disorder inasmuch as it causes personal distress or relationship dysfunction, and appropriate treatment most commonly consists of a broad range of tailored counseling. Thus Primary ISD does not define asexuality itself as a disorder, but rather describes the problems asexual people often face coping with relationships and personal development.
As with people of all orientations, many asexuals have no interest at all in long-term, committed romantic relationships. Asexuals of this description differ from those of other orientations, however, in that they furthermore have no incentive to seek short-term sexual partners or to date. Thus, many refer to themselves as ''aromantic''. Aromantic individuals depend wholly on friends or networks of friends for emotional engagement, often making these relationships central to their lives and regarding them as equal in importance and fulfillment to any pairings based on romantic love.

Criticism

While there have of yet been no direct academic or scientific critiques of the concept of asexuality, many rebukes and alternative explanations are commonly raised in debate. These have been expressed by people ranging from medical and psychiatric professionals to family and friends of asexuals, and may be directed at individuals or at some element of the community as a whole.

★ A lack of sexual feelings can result from medical or psychological issues such as Asperger syndrome, hormonal imbalances, or the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse. A temporary loss of libido is also associated with depression and the effects of certain medication. Individuals who suffer from such problems, which can also involve more directly threatening symptoms, may not seek out a proper diagnosis if they use the label of asexuality to avoid the issue.

★ Asexual people, particularly younger ones, may not have reached a stage of self-awareness and overall psychosocial development to have discovered the full range of their sexuality. This is commonly phrased as being "too young" or "a late bloomer" (in reference to the onset of puberty). Young people who settle on an asexual identity before fully exploring sex may be restricting themselves and their sexual development.

★ An asexual person may in fact have a latent sexuality that will be awakened by a suitable romantic or sexual partner. This is commonly phrased as "not having met the right person."

★ An asexual person may actually be a repressed or closeted homosexual.

★ Situational, secondary inhibited sexual desire (ISD) within a single relationship can be caused by a range of factors such as communication problems, power struggles, and lack of time together.
Asexuals do not dispute the possibility of any of the above holding true for some individuals in the community, but object to the categorization of asexuality itself as a pathological state. The lack of research into the subject makes it impossible to estimate what percentages of self-described asexuals, if any, might fall into the above categories.

Famous asexuals

★ Edward Gorey, writer and illustrator. Gorey never married or had any known romantic relationships, and responded to an interviewer's questioning of his sexual preference with, "I'm neither one thing nor the other particularly... I am apparently reasonably undersexed or something." He agreed with the interviewer's suggestion that "the sexlessness" of his books was "a product of his asexuality".^[11]

★ Keri Hulme, author of ''The Bone People'', winner of the 1985 Booker Prize, discussed asexuality and her involvement with AVEN in a 2007 interview^[12]

★ David Jay, founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN)

★ Morrissey, musician, was famous for his celibacy throughout his career, but said in a 2002 documentary, "That was the problem with the 'celibate' word, because they don't consider for a moment that you'd rather not be, but you just are. I was just never a sexual person. Never."^[13]

★ Paula Poundstone, comedian, has stated in a 2007 interview, "I’m totally an asexual human being. I haven’t dated anyone."^[12]

Asexuality in culture

It is problematic to make statements one way or another about the orientation of fictional characters, as many works simply do not explore characters' sexual or romantic lives, or leave them intentionally ambiguous. This list only includes works which clearly explore the asexual orientation.

★ ''The Bone People'' by asexual author Keri Hulme, features an asexual protagonist who describes her lifelong experience of difference as a woman without sexual feelings.^[15]

★ ''The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff'' by Theodore Sturgeon, 1955, contains an early portrayal of an asexual character and his journey to self-acceptance.^[16]

See also

★ Affectional orientation

★ Androgyny

★ Antisexualism

★ Celibacy

★ Erotophobia

★ Sexless marriage

References

1. Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, , Alfred C., Kinsey, W.B. Saunders, 1948,
2. Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, , Alfred C., Kinsey, W.B. Saunders, 1953,
3. The Sexually Oppressed, , H.L., Gochros, Associated Press, 1977,
4. Theories of sexual orientation, , Michael D., Storms, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1980
5. Sexual Behaviour in Britain: The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, , K., Wellings, Penguin Books, 1994,
6. Asexuality: prevalence and associated factors in a national probability sample, , Anthony F., Bogaert, Journal of Sex Research, 2004
7. Toward a conceptual understanding of asexuality, , Anthony F., Bogaert, Review of General Psychology, 2006
8. Asexuality: Classification and Characterization, , Nicole, Prause, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2004
9. Relationship of serum testosterone concentrations to mate preferences in rams, , Charles A., Roselli, Biology of Reproduction, 2002
10. Comparison of cortisol, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone responses to a defined stressor in sexually inactive rams and sexually active female-oriented and male-oriented rams, , J.N., Stellflug, Journal of Animal Science, 2006
11. Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey, , Edward, Gorey, Harvest Books, 2002,
12.
13.
14.
15. The Bone People, , Keri, Hulme, Penguin (Non Classics), 1986,
16. The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff, , Theodore, Sturgeon, Tom Doherty Associates, 1955,

External links

★ AVEN: Asexual Visibility and Education Network

★ Videos of television appearances by AVEN members

★ Asexual and proud!. ''Salon'', (May 26, 2005).

★ Feature: Glad to be asexual ''New Scientist'', (October 142004).

★ No sex please, we're asexual. ''The Guardian'', (14 October 2004).

★ Study: One in 100 adults asexual. ''CNN'', (14 October 2004).