The Asexual Visibility and Education Network ( AVEN ) is an online community founded in 2001 by David Jay and classed as a 501(c)4 non-profit since June 2022. By 2021, it had 135,539 members, according to Michael Doré, one of its members in the UK who works with their project team.
102-528: When first starting the website, AVEN's main goals were "building community and… legitimising asexuality as a sexual orientation ." AVEN serves simultaneously as an informational platform, a space for fostering community, and as a forum for facilitating discussion. A study performed by Kristin S. Scherrer on asexual identity was published in 2008 that focused on analyzing survey responses from 102 individuals that identified themselves as asexual. This study brought asexual perspectives into academic research at
204-515: A binary between asexuals and persons who have been subjected to psychiatric intervention for disorders such as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder. Chasin says that this binary implies that all asexuals experience a lifelong (hence, enduring) lack of sexual attraction, that all non-asexuals who experience a lack of sexual desire experience distress over it, and that it pathologizes asexuals who do experience such distress. As Chasin says such diagnoses as HSDD act to medicalize and govern women's sexuality,
306-452: A fear-arousing suspension bridge or a normal bridge. Conclusively, it was shown that the male participants who were asked by the female interviewer to perform the thematic apperception test (TAT) on the fear-arousing bridge, wrote more sexual content in the stories and attempted, with greater effort, to contact the interviewer after the experiment than those participants who performed the TAT on
408-455: A gay or lesbian person would typically find a person of the same sex to be more attractive than one of the other sex. A bisexual person would find either sex to be attractive. Asexuality refers to those who do not experience sexual attraction for either sex, though they may have romantic attraction or a non-directed libido. Interpersonal attraction includes factors such as physical or psychological similarity , familiarity or possessing
510-401: A sexual orientation or the lack thereof. It may also be categorized more widely , to include a broad spectrum of asexual sub-identities . Asexuality is distinct from abstention from sexual activity and from celibacy , which are behavioral and generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal, social, or religious beliefs. Sexual orientation, unlike sexual behavior,
612-628: A "cyclical perception" that the asexual community is dominated by white people which can make people of color continue to feel excluded from it. Karen Cuthbert comments on "providing the first empirically grounded discussion of this intersection of asexuality and disability (and to a lesser extent gender and 'race')." Eunjung Kim comments on the intersections between disability or crip theory and asexuality, saying disabled people are more frequently de-sexualized. Disabled people who are also asexual have stated that they can feel invisible because of this since they must navigate these assumptions both within
714-529: A 2013 study, Yule et al. looked into mental health variances between Caucasian heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, and asexuals. The results of 203 male and 603 female participants were included in the findings. Yule et al. found that asexual male participants were more likely to report having a mood disorder than other males, particularly in comparison to heterosexual participants. The same was found for female asexual participants over their heterosexual counterparts; however, non-asexual, non-heterosexual females had
816-437: A Context of Resistance that it is important to interrogate why someone might be distressed about low sexual desire. Chasin further argues that clinicians have an ethical obligation to avoid treating low sexual desire per se as pathological, and to discuss asexuality as a viable possibility (where relevant) with clients presenting clinically with low sexual desire. Scholar Ianna Hawkins Owen writes, "Studies of race have revealed
918-649: A bid to claim superiority by Whites. This is co-existent with the sexualization of black female bodies in the Jezebel archetype, both utilized to justify slavery and enable further control. Owen also criticizes the "...investment in constructing asexuality upon a white racial rubric (who else can claim access to being just like everyone else?)". Ben Brandley and Angela Labrador argue that asexual identity may be more accessible to white people than people of color because of how people of color are sexualized . Michael Paramo argues in an article for Aze that this can create
1020-457: A bigger role in the psychology of sexual attraction than orientation. However, there were some differences between homosexual and heterosexual women and men on these factors. While gay and straight men showed similar psychological interest in casual sex on markers of sociosexuality , gay men showed a larger number of partners in behaviour expressing this interest (proposed to be due to a difference in opportunity). Self-identified lesbian women showed
1122-403: A complex variety of genetic , psychological , and cultural factors. A person's physical appearance has a critical impact on their sexual attractiveness. This involves the impact one's appearance has on the senses , especially in the beginning of a relationship, among them: As with other animals, pheromones may have an impact, though less significantly in the case of humans. Theoretically,
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#17327718358061224-487: A decrease from the 0.9% figure determined from the Natsal-1 data collected on the same age-range a decade earlier. A 2015 analysis by Bogaert also found a similar decline between the Natsal-1 and Natsal-2 data. Aicken, Mercer, and Cassell found some evidence of ethnic differences among respondents who had not experienced sexual attraction; both men and women of Indian and Pakistani origin had a higher likelihood of reporting
1326-615: A diagnosis which was in the DSM-4 , in that both imply a general lack of sexual attraction to anyone; HSDD has been used to medicalize asexuality, but asexuality is generally not considered a disorder or a sexual dysfunction (such as anorgasmia , anhedonia , etc.), because it does not necessarily define someone as having a medical problem or problems relating to others socially. Unlike people with HSDD, asexual people normally do not experience "marked distress" and "interpersonal difficulty" concerning feelings about their sexuality, or generally
1428-591: A given aspect of asexuality research. One such paper is written by Ela Przybylo, another name becoming common in asexual scholarly literature. Her article about the Cerankowski and Milks anthology focuses on accounts of self-identified male asexuals, with a particular focus on the pressures men experience towards having sex in dominant Western discourse and media. Three men living in Southern Ontario, Canada, were interviewed in 2011, and Przybylo admits that
1530-539: A greater interest in visual sexual stimuli than women. However, additional trends have been found with a greater sensitivity to partner status in women choosing a sexual partner and men placing a greater emphasis on physical attractiveness in a potential mate, as well as a significantly greater tendency toward sexual jealousy in men and emotional jealousy in women. Bailey, Gaulin, Agyei, and Gladue (1994) analyzed whether these results varied according to sexual orientation . In general, they found biological sex played
1632-523: A lack of sexual arousal ; asexuality is considered the lack or absence of sexual attraction as a life-enduring characteristic. One study found that, compared to HSDD subjects, asexuals reported lower levels of sexual desire , sexual experience, sex-related distress, and depressive symptoms. Researchers Richards and Barker report that asexuals do not have disproportionate rates of alexithymia , depression, or personality disorders . Some people, however, may identify as asexual even if their non-sexual state
1734-612: A lack of preference for gender in sexual partners. In a 1983 study by Paula Nurius, which included 689 subjects (most of whom were students at various universities in the United States taking psychology or sociology classes), the two-dimensional fantasizing and eroticism scale was used to measure sexual orientation. Based on the results, respondents were given a score ranging from 0 to 100 for hetero-eroticism and from 0 to 100 for homo-eroticism. Respondents who scored lower than 10 on both were labeled "asexual". This consisted of 5% of
1836-504: A lack of sexual attraction. In a survey conducted by YouGov in 2015, 1,632 British adults were asked to try to place themselves on the Kinsey scale. 1% of participants answered "No sexuality". The breakdown of participants was 0% men, 2% women, and 1% across all age ranges. There is significant debate over whether or not asexuality is a sexual orientation. It has been compared and equated with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD),
1938-741: A lack of sexual behavior, whereas the modern definition of asexuality emphasizes a lack of sexual attraction. As such, the Kinsey Scale may not be sufficient for accurate classification of asexuality." Kinsey labeled 1.5% of the adult male population as X . In his second book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Female , he reported this breakdown of individuals who are X: unmarried females = 14–19%, married females = 1–3%, previously married females = 5–8%, unmarried males = 3–4%, married males = 0%, and previously married males = 1–2%. Further empirical data about an asexual demographic appeared in 1994 when
2040-402: A masculine face has been positively correlated with fewer respiratory diseases and, as a consequence, masculine features offer a marker of health and reproductive success . Hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle affect a woman's behaviour in preferences and in their overt behaviours. The ornamentation effect is a phenomenon influenced by a stage of the menstrual cycle which refers to
2142-416: A meaningful category to add to the continuum and instead argued as the lack of sexual orientation or sexuality. Other arguments propose that asexuality is the denial of one's natural sexuality and that it is a disorder caused by shame of sexuality, anxiety, or sexual abuse , sometimes basing this belief on asexuals who masturbate or occasionally engage in sexual activity to please a romantic partner. Within
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#17327718358062244-437: A means to ensure that they attract a high quality mate to copulate with during their most fertile time. Hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle affect a woman's overt behaviours, influencing the way a woman presents herself to others during stages of her menstrual cycle, in an attempt to attract high quality mates the closer the woman is to ovulation . Human sexuality has many aspects. In biology , sexuality describes
2346-496: A newsletter called AVENues every four months. It collects content from the community and includes fiction, poetry, articles and also publishes discussion pieces from the forum. This article about a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender -related organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Asexuality Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity . It may be considered
2448-418: A non-sexual crush . Certain asexuals may participate in sexual activity out of curiosity. Some may also masturbate as a form of solitary release, while others may not feel a need to do so. The desire for masturbation or other sexual activity is often referred to as sex drive by asexuals, who disassociate it from sexual attraction and being asexual; asexuals who masturbate generally consider it to be
2550-405: A normal product of the human body rather than a sign of latent sexuality, and others do not find it pleasurable. Some asexual men are unable to get an erection and are unable to attempt penetration . Asexuals also differ in their views on performing sexual acts — some are indifferent and may engage in sexual activity for the benefit of a romantic partner, while others are more strongly averse to
2652-419: A number of reasons. It may be to attract someone with whom they can form a deeper relationship, for companionship , procreation , or an intimate relationship , besides other possible purposes. It can be part of a courtship process. This can involve physical aspects or interactive processes whereby people find and attract potential partners, and maintain a relationship. These processes, which involve attracting
2754-427: A partner and maintaining sexual interest, can include flirting , which can be used to attract the sexual attention of another to encourage romance or sexual relations, and can involve body language , conversation, joking, or brief physical contact. Men have been found to have a greater interest in uncommitted sex compared to women. Some research shows this interest to be more sociological than biological. Men have
2856-665: 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." A 1977 paper titled Asexual and Autoerotic Women: Two Invisible Groups , by Myra T. Johnson, is explicitly devoted to asexuality in humans. 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." She contrasts autoerotic women with asexual women: "The asexual woman ... has no sexual desires at all [but]
2958-410: A peak in sexual activity. As these findings have been recorded for female-initiated sexual activity and not for male-initiated activity, the causation appears to be hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. Research has also found that menstrual cycles affect sexual behaviour frequency in pre- menopausal women. For example, women who had weekly sexual intercourse with men had menstrual cycles with
3060-418: A person's aesthetics , movements, voice, among other things. The attraction may be enhanced by a person's body odor , sex pheromones , adornments, clothing, perfume or hair style . It can be influenced by individual genetic , psychological , or cultural factors, or to other, more amorphous qualities. Sexual attraction is also a response to another person that depends on a combination of the person possessing
3162-515: A preponderance of common or familiar features , similarity , complementarity , reciprocal liking , and reinforcement . The ability of a person's physical and other qualities to create a sexual interest in others is the basis of their use in advertising , film , and other visual media, as well as in modeling and other occupations. In evolutionary terms, the ovulatory shift hypothesis posits that female humans exhibit different sexual behaviours and desires at points in their menstrual cycle , as
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3264-476: A question in itself for the studies of gender and sexuality. Cerankowski and Milks have suggested that asexuality raises many more questions than it resolves, such as how a person could abstain from having sex, which is generally accepted by society to be the most basic of instincts. Their New Orientations paper states that society has deemed "[LGBT and] female sexuality as empowered or repressed. The asexual movement challenges that assumption by challenging many of
3366-570: 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 pandemic . The survey included a question on sexual attraction, to which 1.05% of the respondents replied that they had "never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all." The study of this phenomenon was continued by Canadian sexuality researcher Anthony Bogaert in 2004, who explored
3468-571: A significantly greater interest in visual sexual stimuli than heterosexual women and judged partner status to be less important in romantic partnerships . Heterosexual men had a significantly greater preference for younger partners than homosexual men. People who identify as asexual may not be sexually attracted to anyone. Gray asexuality includes those who only experience sexual attraction under certain circumstances; for example, exclusively after an emotional bond has been formed. This tends to vary from person to person. The ovulatory shift hypothesis
3570-562: 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). This type of scale accounted for asexuality for the first time. Storms conjectured that many researchers following Kinsey's model could be mis-categorizing asexual subjects as bisexual, because both were simply defined by
3672-500: A sociological understanding of asexuality and a cultural understanding, which she said could include "the open mesh of possibilities, gaps, overlaps, dissonances and resonances". CJ DeLuzio Chasin states in Reconsidering Asexuality and Its Radical Potential that academic research on asexuality "has positioned asexuality in line with essentialist discourses of sexual orientation" which is troublesome as it creates
3774-739: A study published in 1979 in volume five of Advances in the Study of Affect , as well as in another article using the same data and published in 1980 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Michael D. Storms of the University of Kansas outlined his own reimagining of the Kinsey scale. Whereas Kinsey measured sexual orientation based on a combination of actual sexual behavior and fantasizing and eroticism, Storms used only fantasizing and eroticism. Storms, however, placed hetero-eroticism and homo-eroticism on separate axes rather than at two ends of
3876-530: A time when there was relatively little academic literature available on the topic of asexuality, and even less that approached it as an identity rather than simply a behavior or desire. The participants for this study were found and recruited through AVEN's website. In addition to contributung to the ability to acquire the necessary particpants, AVEN served to inform the responses given by participants as well. For example, when asked to describe what an asexual identity meant to them, 44% of respondents closely echoed
3978-530: A variety of romantic identities, including biromantic , heteroromantic , homoromantic , or panromantic , and those who do not experience romantic attraction may identify as aromantic . This split between romantic and sexual orientation is commonly explained as the split attraction model , which states that romantic and sexual attraction are not strictly linked for all people. Individuals who are both aromantic and asexual are sometimes known as " aro-ace " or " aroace ". The term " gray asexuality " refers to
4080-409: Is attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest. Sexual attractiveness or sex appeal is an individual's ability to attract other people sexually, and is a factor in sexual selection or mate choice . The attraction can be to the physical or other qualities or traits of a person, or to such qualities in the context where they appear. The attraction may be to
4182-541: Is "just a word that people use to help figure themselves out", and encourages people to use the term asexual to define themselves "as long as it makes sense to do so". Asexuality is often abbreviated as ace , a phonetic shortening of asexual , and the community as a whole is likewise referred to as the ace community . Despite lacking sexual attraction, some asexuals might engage in purely romantic relationships, while others may not. Some who identify as asexual report that they experience sexual attraction, though lack
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4284-660: Is a biological difference between straight men and gay men. In 2014, Cerankowski and Milks edited and published Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives , a collection of essays intended to explore the politics of asexuality from a feminist and queer perspective. It is broken into the introduction and then six parts: Theorizing Asexuality: New Orientations; The Politics of Asexuality; Visualizing Asexuality in Media Culture; Asexuality and Masculinity; Health, Disability, and Medicalization; and Reading Asexually: Asexual Literary Theory. Each part contains two to three papers on
4386-536: Is a sexual orientation, other researchers disagree. Asexual individuals may represent about one percent of the population. Various asexual communities have started to form since the impact of the Internet and social media in the mid-1990s. The most prolific and well-known of these communities is the Asexual Visibility and Education Network , which was founded in 2001 by David Jay . Because there
4488-447: Is an awareness period that was created to celebrate and bring awareness to asexuality (including grey asexuality). It was founded by Sara Beth Brooks in 2010. International Asexuality Day (IAD) is an annual celebration of the asexuality community that takes place on 6 April. The intention for the day is "to place a special emphasis on the international community, going beyond the anglophone and Western sphere that has so far had
4590-471: Is an inversion, reversal, or disconnection between the self and the typical target/object of sexual interest/attraction" (such as attraction to oneself, labelled "automonosexualism"). In an earlier 2006 article, Bogaert acknowledges that a distinction between behavior and attraction has been accepted into recent conceptualizations of sexual orientation, which aids in positioning asexuality as such. He adds that, by this framework, "(subjective) sexual attraction
4692-527: Is believed to be "enduring". Some asexual people engage in sexual activity despite lacking sexual attraction or a desire for sex, for a number of reasons, such as a desire to physically pleasure themselves or romantic partners, or a desire to have children. Acceptance of asexuality as a sexual orientation and field of scientific research is still relatively new, as a growing body of research from both sociological and psychological perspectives has begun to develop. While some researchers assert that asexuality
4794-505: Is controversial. Pheromones have been determined to play a role in sexual attraction between people. They influence gonadal hormone secretion, for example, follicle maturation in the ovaries in females and testosterone and sperm production in males. Research conducted by Donald G. Dutton and Arthur P. Aron in the 1970s aimed to find the relation between sexual attraction and high anxiety conditions. In doing so, 85 male participants were contacted by an attractive female interviewer at either
4896-526: Is explained by one or more of the aforementioned disorders. Since the release of the DSM-5 in 2013, which split HSDD into diagnoses for female sexual arousal disorder and male hypoactive sexual desire disorder, both disorders have been criticised for similar issues to HSDD. Although the DSM-5 mentions asexuality as an exclusion criterion for these two disorders, individuals must self-identify as asexual to meet
4998-492: Is made between romantic and sexual attraction, and he draws on work from developmental psychology , which suggests that romantic systems derive from attachment theory while sexual systems "primarily reside in different brain structures". Concurrent with Bogaert's suggestion that understanding asexuality will lead to a better understanding of sexuality overall, he discusses the topic of asexual masturbation to theorize on asexuals and "'target-oriented' paraphilia , in which there
5100-627: Is more common among celibate clergy , as non-asexuals are more likely to be discouraged by vows of chastity . According to Aicken et al. , a higher proportion of Muslim respondents reported that they did not experience any form of sexual attraction compared to Christian respondents. Because the application of the term asexuality is relatively recent, most religions do not have clear stances on it. In Matthew 19:11–12 , Jesus mentions "For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others – and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for
5202-473: Is more than a behavioral choice and is not something that can be cured like a disorder. There is also analysis on whether identifying as asexual is becoming more popular. Research on the etiology of sexual orientation when applied to asexuality has the definitional problem of sexual orientation not consistently being defined by researchers as including asexuality. While heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality are usually, but not always, determined during
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#17327718358065304-444: Is rare, constituting 1% or less of the population. Asexuality is not a new aspect of human sexuality, but it is relatively new to public discourse. In comparison to other sexualities, asexuality has received little attention from the scientific community, with quantitative information about the prevalence of asexuality low in numbers. S. E. Smith of The Guardian is not sure asexuality has actually increased; he instead leans toward
5406-537: Is rooted in compulsory sexuality . Bogaert argues that understanding asexuality is of key importance to understanding sexuality in general. For his work, Bogaert defines asexuality as "a lack of lustful inclinations/feelings directed toward others," a definition that he argues is relatively new in light of recent theory and empirical work on sexual orientation. This definition of asexuality also makes clear this distinction between behavior and desire, for both asexuality and celibacy, although Bogaert also notes that there
5508-689: Is significant variation among those who identify as asexual, the term asexuality can encompass broad definitions. Researchers generally define asexuality as the lack of sexual attraction or the lack of interest in sexual activity , though specific definitions vary—the term may be used to refer to individuals with low or absent sexual behavior or exclusively romantic non-sexual partnerships in addition to low or absent sexual desire or attraction. The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), an online forum dedicated to asexuality, defines an asexual as "someone who does not experience sexual attraction", as well as adding that asexuality "at its core"
5610-441: Is some evidence of reduced sexual activity for those who fit this definition. He further distinguishes between desire for others and desire for sexual stimulation, the latter of which is not always absent for those who identify as asexual, although he acknowledges that other theorists define asexuality differently and that further research needs to be done on the "complex relationship between attraction and desire". Another distinction
5712-525: Is the psychological core of sexual orientation", and also addresses that there may be "some skepticism in [both] the academic and clinical communities" about classifying asexuality as a sexual orientation, and that it raises two objections to such a classification: First, he suggests that there could be an issue with self-reporting (i.e., "a 'perceived' or 'reported' lack of attraction", particularly for definitions of sexual orientation that consider physical arousal over subjective attraction), and, second, he raises
5814-452: Is the theory that female humans tend to exhibit different sexual behaviours and desires at points in their cycle. Two meta-analyses published in 2014 reached opposing conclusions on whether the existing evidence was robust enough to support the prediction that women's mate preferences change across the cycle. A newer 2018 review does not show women changing the type of men they desire at different times in their fertility cycle. In males,
5916-512: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health by Stephen Cranney found that, of 14 individuals who reported no sexual attraction in the study's third wave (when subjects ranged in age from 18 to 26), only 3 continued to identify in this way at the fourth wave, six years later. However, Cranney notes that asexual identification in the third wave was still significant as a predictor of asexual identification in
6018-410: The moral , ethical , theological , spiritual , and religious aspects. Which aspects of a person's sexuality attract another is influenced by cultural factors; it has varied over time, as well as personal factors. Influencing factors may be determined more locally among sub-cultures, across sexual fields , or simply by the preferences of the individual . These preferences come about as a result of
6120-700: The "wrong" pheromone may cause someone to be disliked, even when they would otherwise appear attractive. Frequently, a pleasant-smelling perfume is used to encourage the other person to more deeply inhale the air surrounding its wearer, increasing the probability that the individual's pheromones will be inhaled. The importance of pheromones in human relationships is probably limited and is widely disputed, although it appears to have some scientific basis. Some people exhibit high levels of sexual fetishism and are sexually stimulated by other stimuli not normally associated with sexual arousal . The degree to which such fetishism exists or has existed in different cultures
6222-669: The 1990s, scholars believe that it was not until the early 21st century when a community of self-identified asexuals began to form, aided by the popularity of online communities . Several small communities existed online, such as the "Leather Spinsters", "Nonolibidoism Society", and "Haven for the Human Amoeba", documented by Volkmar Sigusch . In 2001, activist David Jay founded the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), whose stated goals are "creating public acceptance and discussion of asexuality and facilitating
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#17327718358066324-660: The Feminist Politics of "Not Doing It" , published in 2011, takes a feminist lens to scientific writings on asexuality. Pryzyblo argues that asexuality is made possible only through the Western context of "sexual, coital, and heterosexual imperatives". She addresses earlier works by Dana Densmore, Valerie Solanas, and Breanne Fahs, who argued for "asexuality and celibacy" as radical feminist political strategies against patriarchy. While Przybylo does make some distinctions between asexuality and celibacy, she considers blurring
6426-575: The United States taking psychology or sociology classes—were given several surveys, including four clinical well-being scales. Results showed that asexuals were more likely to have low self-esteem and more likely to be depressed than members of other sexual orientations: 25.88% of heterosexuals, 26.54% of bisexuals (called "ambisexuals"), 29.88% of homosexuals, and 33.57% of asexuals were reported to have problems with self-esteem. A similar trend existed for depression. For various reasons, Nurius did not believe that firm conclusions could be drawn from this. In
6528-612: The article aims to "unpack" problematic definitions of asexuality that are harmful to both asexuals and women alike. Chasin states that asexuality has the power to challenge commonplace discourse of the naturalness of sexuality, but that the unquestioned acceptance of its current definition does not allow for this. Chasin also argues there and elsewhere in Making Sense in and of the Asexual Community: Navigating Relationships and Identities in
6630-441: The asexual and disabled communities and outside of them. Anna Kurowicka notes that asexual people may sometimes reject the notion that their asexuality is related to disability in an effort to avoid unwanted medical intervention. At the same time, disabled people may reject the assumption that they are inherently asexual. Kurowicka argues that contemporary discourses should trouble the desire to separate asexuality and disability that
6732-531: The asexual community additionally opt to wear a black ring on their right middle finger , colloquially known as an "ace ring", as a form of identification. Some asexuals use ace playing card suits as identities of their romantic orientation, such as the ace of spades for aromanticism and the ace of hearts for non-aromanticism. On June 29, 2014, AVEN organized the second International Asexuality Conference, as an affiliate WorldPride event in Toronto. The first
6834-679: The asexual demographic in a series of studies. Bogaert's research indicated that 1% of the British population does not experience sexual attraction, but he believed that the 1% figure was not an accurate reflection of the likely much larger percentage of the population that could be identified as asexual, noting that 30% of people contacted for the initial survey chose not to participate in the survey. Since less sexually experienced people are more likely to refuse to participate in studies about sexuality, and asexuals tend to be less sexually experienced than allosexuals, asexuals were likely under-represented in
6936-422: The asexual pride flag was formally announced. The final design was a popular design, and received the most votes in an online open-access poll . The flag's colors—four horizontal stripes of black, gray, white, and purple from top to bottom—represent asexuality, gray-asexuality, allosexuality, and community, respectively. They have also since been used as a representation of asexuality as a whole. Some members of
7038-539: The autoerotic woman ... recognizes such desires but prefers to satisfy them alone." Johnson's evidence is mostly letters to the editor found in women's magazines written by asexual/autoerotic women. She portrays them as invisible, "oppressed by a consensus that they are non-existent," and left behind by both the sexual revolution and the feminist movement. Johnson argued that society either ignores or denies their existence or insists they must be ascetic for religious reasons, neurotic, or asexual for political reasons. In
7140-419: The average duration of 29 days, while women with less frequent sexual interactions tended to have more extreme cycle lengths. Changes in hormones during a female's cycles affect the way she behaves and the way males behave towards her. Research has found that men are a lot more attentive and loving towards their partners when they are in the most fertile phase of their cycles, in comparison to when they are in
7242-474: The basic tenets of pro-sex feminism [in which it is] already defined as repressive or anti-sex sexualities." In addition to accepting self-identification as asexual, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network has formulated asexuality as a biologically determined orientation. This formula, if dissected scientifically and proven, would support researcher Simon LeVay 's blind study of the hypothalamus in gay men, women, and straight men, which indicates that there
7344-501: The belief that it is simply more visible. Alfred Kinsey rated individuals from 0 to 6 according to their sexual orientation from heterosexual to homosexual, known as the Kinsey scale . He also included a category he called "X" for individuals with "no socio-sexual contacts or reactions." Although, in modern times, this is categorized as representing asexuality, scholar Justin J. Lehmiller stated, "the Kinsey X classification emphasized
7446-422: The context of sexual orientation identity politics, asexuality may pragmatically fulfill the political function of a sexual orientation identity category. The suggestion that asexuality is a sexual dysfunction is controversial among the asexual community. Those who identify as asexual usually prefer it to be recognized as a sexual orientation. Scholars who argue that asexuality is a sexual orientation may point to
7548-599: The definition of asexuality as found on AVEN's website. One respondent referred directly to AVEN in response to this question. Scherrer's study has been cited by many studies since, indicating the study and AVEN's contributions to it have had further impact on academic research. AVEN is responsible for the creation of the AVEN DSM Task Force. As the American Psychiatric Association began efforts to make revisions that would become
7650-456: The deployment of asexuality in the dominant discourse as an ideal sexual behavior to justify both the empowerment of whites and the subordination of blacks to uphold a racialized social and political system." This is partly due to the simultaneous sexualization and de-sexualization of black women in the Mammy archetype , as well as by how society de-sexualizes certain racial minorities, as part of
7752-470: The differential diagnosis and this requirement has been criticised for imposing a diagnosis on people who are possibly asexual but do not yet identify as such. As of 2021 , HSDD continues to be used to describe transgender women. The first study that gave empirical data about asexuals was published in 1983 by Paula Nurius concerning the relationship between sexual orientation and mental health. 689 subjects—most of whom were students at various universities in
7854-566: The early years of preadolescent life, it is not known when asexuality is determined. "It is unclear whether these characteristics [ viz. , "lacking interest in or desire for sex"] are thought to be lifelong, or if they may be acquired." One criterion usually taken to define a sexual orientation is that it is stable over time. In a 2016 analysis in the Archives of Sexual Behavior , Brotto et al. found "only weak support" for this criterion being met among asexual individuals. An analysis of data from
7956-417: The existence of different sexual preferences. They and many asexual people believe that the lack of sexual attraction is valid enough to be categorized as a sexual orientation. The researchers argue that asexuals do not choose to have no sexual desire and generally start to find out their differences in sexual behaviors around adolescence. Because of these facts coming to light, it is reasoned that asexuality
8058-568: The growth of an asexual community". Some asexuals believe that participation in an asexual community is an important resource, as they often report feeling ostracized in broader society. Communities such as AVEN can be beneficial to those in search of answers when questioning their sexual orientation , such as providing support if one feels their lack of sexual attraction constitutes a disease. Online asexual communities can also serve to inform others about asexuality. However, affiliating with online communities among asexual people vary. Some question
8160-452: The highest rates. Asexual participants of both sexes were more likely to have anxiety disorders than heterosexual and non-heterosexual participants, as were they more likely than heterosexual participants to report having had recent suicidal feelings. Yule et al. hypothesized that some of these differences may be due to discrimination and other societal factors. With regard to sexual orientation categories, asexuality may be argued as not being
8262-530: The idea, though they are not typically against sex as a whole . Many who identify as asexual may identify with diverse gender identities or classifications of romantic orientation . These are often integrated with a person's asexual identity, and asexuals may still identify as heterosexual , lesbian , gay , or bisexual regarding romantic or emotional aspects of sexual orientation or sexual identity in addition to identifying as asexual. The romantic aspects of sexual orientations may also be indicated by
8364-405: The inclination to act on it, citing no desire to engage in sexual activity—some asexuals also lack the desire to engage in non-sexual physical activity such as cuddling or hand-holding , while others choose to do so. Asexual people may seek relationships without romantic or sexual activity, known as " queerplatonic relationships ". A squish is a term used by the asexual community to describe
8466-399: The issue of overlap between absent and very low sexual desire, as those with an extremely low desire may still have an "underlying sexual orientation" despite potentially identifying as asexual. The history of the asexual community is presently undocumented in academic work. Although several private websites for those who fall under the modern definition of asexuality existed online in
8568-541: The lines between the two to be productive for a feminist understanding of the topic. In her 2013 article, "Producing Facts: Empirical Asexuality and the Scientific Study of Sex", Przybylo distinguishes between two different stages of asexual research: that of the late 1970s to the early 1990s, which often included a very limited understanding of asexuality, and the more recent revisiting of the subject which she says began with Bogaert's 2004 study and has popularized
8670-737: The males and 10% of the females. Results showed that asexuals reported much lower frequency and desired frequency of a variety of sexual activities, including having multiple partners, anal sexual activities, having sexual encounters in a variety of locations, and autoerotic activities. The field of asexuality studies is still emerging as a subset of the broader field of gender and sexuality studies . Notable researchers who have produced significant works in asexuality studies include KJ Cerankowski , Ela Przybylo, and CJ DeLuzio Chasin. A 2010 paper written by KJ Cerankowski and Megan Milks, titled New Orientations: Asexuality and Its Implications for Theory and Practice , suggests that asexuality may be somewhat of
8772-564: The most coverage". An international committee spent a little under a year preparing the event, as well as publishing a website and press materials. This committee settled on the date of 6 April to avoid clashing with as many significant dates around the world as possible, although this date is subject to review and may change in future years. The first International Asexuality Day was celebrated in 2021 and involved asexuality organizations from at least 26 countries. Activities included virtual meetups, advocacy programs both online and offline, and
8874-519: The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5 ), this task force sought to petition for changes regarding sexual desire disorders . One of the central parts of AVEN is the community forum where users post about their experiences surrounding asexuality. In an interview with Femestella, Jay highlighted the importance of such open spaces for people who are unsure of their sexuality and having support to understand themselves better. The forums exist in many languages. AVEN publishes
8976-452: The normal bridge. In another test, a male participant, chosen from a group of 80, was given anticipated shocks. With him was an attractive female confederate, who was also being shocked. The experiment showed that the male's sexual imagery in the TAT was much higher when self shock was anticipated and not when the female confederate shock was anticipated. People consciously or subconsciously enhance their sexual attractiveness or sex appeal for
9078-469: The physiology of asexuality suggest that people who are asexual are capable of genital arousal but may experience difficulty with so-called subjective arousal." This means that "while the body becomes aroused, subjectively – at the level of the mind and emotions – one does not experience arousal." 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
9180-481: The purpose of online communities, while others heavily depend on them for support. According to Elizabeth Abbott , asexuality has always been present in society, though asexual people kept a lower profile. She further stated that while the failure to consummate marriage was seen as an insult to the sacrament of marriage in medieval times, and has been sometimes used as grounds to terminate a marriage, though asexuality has never been illegal, unlike homosexuality . However,
9282-499: The recent growth of online communication and social networking as facilitated the growth of a community built upon a common asexual identity. In 2009, AVEN members participated in the first asexual entry into an American pride parade at the San Francisco Pride Parade . In 2010, after a period of debate surrounding the existence of a pride flag to represent asexuality, as well as a system to create one,
9384-461: The reproductive mechanism and the basic biological drive that exists in all sexually reproducing species and can encompass sexual intercourse and sexual contact in all its forms. There are also emotional and physical aspects of sexuality. These relate to the bond between individuals, which may be expressed through profound feelings or emotions. Sociologically , it can cover the cultural , political , and legal aspects; philosophically , it can span
9486-485: The responding participants. The same study found the number of homosexuals and bisexuals combined to be about 1.1% of the population, which is much smaller than other studies indicate. Contrasting Bogaert's 1% figure, a study by Aicken et al., published in 2013, suggests that, based on Natsal-2 data from 2000 to 2001, the prevalence of asexuality in Britain is only 0.4% for the age range 16–44. This percentage indicates
9588-403: The sake of the kingdom of heaven ." Some biblical exegetes have interpreted the "eunuchs who were born that way" as including asexuals. While Christianity has not directly mentioned asexuality, it has revered celibacy; the apostle Paul , writing as a celibate, has been described by some writers as asexual. He writes in 1 Corinthians 7:6–9 , Sexual attraction Sexual attraction
9690-517: The sharing of stories in various art-forms. For a series of fictional characters in books and comics who are asexual, see fictional asexual characters . Several works of fiction that have asexual themes have been published: A series of non-fiction articles and books covering asexuality have been published: Studies have found no significant statistical correlation between religion and asexuality, with asexuality occurring with equal prevalence in both religious and irreligious individuals. Asexuality
9792-407: The small sample size means that her findings cannot be generalized to a greater population in terms of representation and that they are "exploratory and provisional", especially in a field that is still lacking in theorizations. All three interviewees addressed being affected by the stereotype that men have to enjoy and want sex in order to be "real men". Another of Przybylo's works, Asexuality and
9894-402: The spectrum between asexuality and non-asexuality (also referred to as allosexuality ). Individuals who identify as gray asexual may occasionally experience sexual attraction, or only experience sexual attraction as a secondary component once a reasonably stable or large emotional connection has been formed with the target, known as demisexuality . Most scholars agree that asexuality
9996-439: The subject and made it more "culturally visible". In this article, Przybylo once again asserts the understanding of asexuality as a cultural phenomenon, and continues to be critical of its scientific study. Pryzblo published a book, Asexual Erotics, in 2019. In this book, she argued that asexuality poses a "paradox" in that is a sexual orientation that is defined by the absence of sexual activity entirely. She distinguishes between
10098-485: The subsequent wave. In a subsequent commentary, Cranney stated that the interpretation of this data was complicated by the absence of any "set quantitative standard for how long a sexual desire must last before it is considered stable or intrinsic enough to be considered an orientation". While some asexuals masturbate as a solitary form of release or have sex for the benefit of a romantic partner, others do not ( see above ). Fischer et al. reported that "scholars who study
10200-407: The traits and on the criteria of the person who is attracted. Though attempts have been made to devise objective criteria of sexual attractiveness and measure it as one of several bodily forms of capital asset (e.g. erotic capital ), a person's sexual attractiveness is to a large extent a subjective measure dependent on another person's interest, perception, and sexual orientation . For example,
10302-598: The way a woman presents herself to others, in a way to attract potential sexual partners. Studies have found that the closer women were to ovulation , the more provocatively they dress and the more attractive they are rated. It is possible that women are sensitive to the changes in their physical attractiveness throughout their cycles, such that at their most fertile stages their levels of attractiveness are increased. Consequently, they choose to display their increased levels of attractiveness through this method of ornamentation. During periods of hormonal imbalance, women exhibit
10404-518: Was held at the 2012 World Pride in London. The second such event, which was attended by around 250 people, was the largest gathering of asexuals to date. The conference included presentations, discussions, and workshops on topics such as research on asexuality, asexual relationships, and intersecting identities. Ace Week (formerly Asexual Awareness Week) occurs on the last full week in October. It
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