I was watching something on National Geographic the other day and something about asexuals came up. I was a bit intrigued, but they did not go into as much detail as I wanted. I figured that sense we have a good group of discussioners (just made that word up), then we could all learn something.
What is Asexuality?
Wikipedia says: Asexuality describes individuals who do not experience sexual attraction and is considered by some to be a sexual orientation.[1] Asexuality as a human sexual orientation has only been recognized and defined in a few academic studies since the late 1970s, 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.[1] One commonly cited study placed the incidence rate of asexuality at 1%.[2] Asexuality is not the same as celibacy, which is the deliberate abstention from sexual activity; many asexuals do have sex,[3] and most celibates are not asexual.
How does this fit into the Kinsey Sexuality Scale?
Alfred Kinsey 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".[4][5] He labeled 1.5% of the adult male population as "X"
Questions
1. Is asexuality even real? I am skeptical. I don't see how one could be asexual given the hormones we all have.
2. Do you think it is purely sexual or does it involve romantic notions?
3. Given that it is real and does exist, could it be a result of a trauma?
4. Would you classify this as a mental disorder given the fact that their body has the right hormones, etc?
I'm an Asexual. I can't particularly say what factors brought me to this point - as far back as I can remember i've never held 'feelings' for anyone - male or female. I do like the TVtropes article on Asexuality:
Do you feel you have the ability to have 'feelings' for a person?
Would you say you have average amount of physical contact with others? Like, do you like to cuddle from time to time? Which isn't necessarily a determinate of anything because some people just don't like to cuddle. So, I'm more interested if the answer is yes.
Do you feel you have the ability to have 'feelings' for a person?
Would you say you have average amount of physical contact with others? Like, do you like to cuddle from time to time? Which isn't necessarily a determinate of anything because some people just don't like to cuddle. So, I'm more interested if the answer is yes.
1. I don't think I do, or I haven't come across a person that has evoked such feelings from me. 2. I probably have a higher than average amount of physical contact with others - I'm practically the College Cuddler. I don't see anything sexual in it though. For me it's just a comforting gesture or sign of friendly affection.
Aww, I feel cherished. This is like when I first (well, I can't call it 'came out of the closet' but you get the idea) and I was considered an oddity - everyone asked questions, even my teachers. Strangely, that 'coming out' increased the amount of cuddles that females seemed to lavish upon me. Anyway... Back on topic.
am i the only person who thinks that a sexuality is more of a natural selection type of deal. or perhaps a de-evolutionary stage. maybe asexuals have regressed back into a more primal sense, where sexuality has no meaning. where you procreate simply for the propogation of the species. fuck love, who needs it right? but then again, without physical attraction, how would one be able to make a physical relationship work. or is that a sexuals on a larger scale are individuals who have never had another being sexually interested in them? still i am sticking with natural selection, YOUR GENES ARE SAYING, "GET OUT THE POOL fOOL!!!"
Ahh, society. Socialization of norms and values may tell you that Asexuality is not possible but just remember - a few hundreds years ago, children were being socialized to believe that the sun revolved around the Earth. Understandings change over time.
