Awareness around what it means to be asexual has come a long way – more people are identifying with the orientation than ever before. According to a 2022 report by Stonewall, 2% of the population identify as asexual or ace (an abbreviation for asexuality).
Recognition is a work in progress. In 2021, International Asexuality Day was recognised and celebrated for the first time on 6 April, co-founded by asexual activist and model Yasmin Benoit. In a recent interview, she talked about how we need to go beyond “awareness” of asexual people and identity, and is on a “quest for representation” that extends further.
That said, there’s still a considerable amount of confusion and some pretty rogue assumptions about asexuality that need to be put to rights.
GLAMOUR UK has answered all questions you may have about what it means to be asexual.
What is asexuality?
Slightly different from other sexual orientations, which are are used to convey sexual preference, asexuality is a sexual orientation that is defined by someone who has no sexual desire for their preferred sex.
This doesn’t mean that someone who identifies as asexual doesn’t experience romantic feelings or have a desire for physical closeness and many asexual people enjoy loving relationships, but they’re just not sexually attracted to their partners.
But isn’t that just low sex drive?
Asexuality may sound similar to a low libido or low sex drive, but there are a few key differences that set it apart. A low sex drive can have a number of causes from hormonal changes to different medications. Asexuality, on the other hand, is a valid sexual orientation that someone might identify with. It is not caused by any one thing and it doesn’t need to be treated – it’s simply how someone was born.
Can you fall in love if you are asexual?
While an asexual person may not experience sexual attraction, they may still experience romantic attraction. It’s a common misconception that people who identify as asexual don’t have romantic relationships, and many choose to have close emotional intimacy with someone, beyond that of a friendship.
Why are so many people suddenly becoming asexual?
It might seem like lots of people are suddenly saying that they identify as asexual, but asexuality is nothing new.