Asexuality

[boston bean]

Asexuality always existed, you just didn't notice it

Asexuals are everywhere. We're taking over the BBC, holding conferences and (perhaps) even appearing on the television, depending on how you feel about Sherlock. You can't toss a box of prophylactics these days without hitting an asexual, which is leading many people to start talking about asexuality and wondering where we're all coming from.


Asexuality, defined as the absence of sexual attraction, is hardly anything new, but what is new is that people are discussing it in public. Historical figures who were possibly or probably asexual didn't have a framework for talking about their orientation and lived in an era where asexuality, like homosexuality, would have been regarded as an aberration rather than a natural human variation. Today, that's shifting, which means more people are openly identifying as asexual, from the sadly deceased artist Edward Gorey to fashion critic Tim Gunn.


Studies suggest that about 1% of the world's population identifies as asexual. So that accounts for a large number of people who don't experience sexual attraction, but who do experience relationships in a variety of ways. Some of us are romantic and interested in intimate relationships. Others, like me, are aromantic and more solitary in nature. Some of us have a sex drive though it isn't directed at anyone, and others don't. The complexity of asexuality remains largely unstudied, something that I hope to see changing over the coming years as it becomes more widely recognised as an orientation in its own right.


Researcher Anthony Bogaert has claimed this week that the sexualisation of society accounts for the rise in asexuality, but I'm not inclined to agree, on two accounts. I'm not sure asexuality has actually increased, rather leaning towards the belief that it's simply more visible. Much as homosexuality was largely hidden before, activists proclaimed that they were here, they were queer and the world was going to have to get used to it – asexuality has always been here too, it just hasn't been acknowledged.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/21/asexuality-always-existed-asexual

[Taverner]

1. How could you notice someone not doing something?

[ismnotwasm]

2. When you read stories

Of people 'married' to their work, or perhaps devoted to an all consuming sport or goal in life, to the point they have either no or serial failed relationships, (without sex as a cause)it makes me wonder.

Sherlock Holmes--a fictional character was asexual in my opinion. It wasn't too outré for Conan-Doyle to present him that way either. More recent attempts of course seem to need to assign him a love interest, rather than stay true to the original asexuality of the character. It's like the public just can't handle not having some sort of sexual or love interest.

[aletier_v]

4. Asexuality is real, it's grounded in genetics

I met my first asexual at... believe or not, a sex club.

She was there trying to figure herself & sex out and I felt strange asking personal questions but I'd never even heard of asexuality before. To sum it up, she just has no sexual desires and never has. She said it's not rock-bottom zero urge, but very low and easy to ignore. And I could see it in her face and form, how she'd developed, she was around 30 but looked 15.

[ismnotwasm]

5. And the question is

Can society accept this state (the medical community would insist that they need hormones or therapy. For instance, Low testosterone levels in men and women can cause lack of sexual desire-- but that's a physical condition) without pressuring them to 'fix' it? For those who are just not interested? I imagine its very hard to live with, harder to explain, and very, very painful to live with feeling 'different' in an over sexualized society

[MadrasT]

9. I go through asexual periods and I also spent a lot of time in sex clubs for the same reason.

I was trying to figure out what the fascination with sex is. I still don't get it.

The only time I care about sex is if I am in a relationship with someone I care about. Otherwise I never think about it.

[hrmjustin]

3. Great post.

I remember growing up gay, and feeling like something was wrong. This post reminds me of that. I wish we did talk about this more. People are always afraid of what they don't know.

[seabeyond]

6. i think there have probably been a lot more asexuality than realized with the pressure of the ever

present world of sex, and the created normality of attitude to sex in a conditioned manner. it is very tough to be conditioned that being an "animal" we are suppose to behave in a manner that is not consistent with the expectation society gives us.

thinking more in this and having read so many stories told, now that we have internet where people tell all, it seems to me like some people walk into relationships and marriage and participates in sex not for a want, but because it is expected.

there have been a couple things i have read in the last couple years pertaining to this. but, then, we know that i feel we have escalated the male sexuality to incompass all of who he is pertaining to his sexuality, and forget everything else about a man that identifies his manhood, cause it is all about sex. and that is all conditioning and society, culture, media.

[seabeyond]

7. Japan’s Youth Less Interested in Sex: Survey

Every six years, JASE conducts this survey to assess the sexual awareness of Japan’s youth.

This most recent survey was conducted from October 2011 to February 2012, with almost 7,770 students from college to junior high involved as participants.

Since 1974, the percentage of young Japanese women having sex or those described as “sexually active” had constantly been increasing. The peak was in 2005 — almost 60% for university students and 30% for high school students. However, the results of the most recent survey showed only 47% for university students and 24% for high school students.

“Herbivore boys,” known in Japan as “conservative” boys, are also increasing in number. Sexually active male university students decreased from 60% to 54%; the numbers dropped from 27% to 15% for high school students.

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2012/08/17/japans-youth-interested-sex-survey/

[seabeyond]

8. CDC reports: Teens having sex later; 59% use "highly effective" birth control

From 2006 to 2010, 57% of females 15 to 19 had never had sex, up from 49% in 1995, with no significant difference among racial and ethnic groups.

The increase was greatest for African-Americans (34% increase) and Hispanics (29% increase); in increase among whites was 15%.

During 2006–2010, 73% of females aged 15–17 years had never had sex, compared with 36.5% of females aged 18–19 years.

The girls who reported having sex during the 2006-2010 survey were 26% more likely to have used a “highly effective” method of birth control (59% in total), such as an IUD or the pill, than sexually active teenagers in 1995; 16.% depended on moderately effective methods, 6.% used less-effective methods (such as rhythm method or withdrawal) and 18% used no contraception at all.

White teens were more likely to use highly effective birth control (66%) than African-American (47%) and Hispanic teens(53%).


http://californiaschildren.typepad.com/californias-children/2012/05/may-7-2012-fewer-teens-are-sexually-active-and-those-teens-who-are-having-sex-are-more-likely-to-be-using-highly-effective.html