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Human Asexuality: What Do We Know About a Lack of Sexual Attraction?

  • Integrating the Psychosocial (B McCarthy, RT Segraves and AH Clayton, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Sexual Health Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper reviews the recent literature on human asexuality, which is generally defined as an absence of sexual attraction.

Recent Findings

Recent work has focused on exploring whether asexuality is best conceptualized as a mental health difficulty, a sexual dysfunction, a paraphilia, a sexual orientation, or as an identity/community, and this literature is reviewed. The authors conclude that asexuality may best be thought of as a sexual orientation and that asexuality as an identity and a community is an important component of the asexual experience.

Summary

Overall, the term asexuality likely describes a heterogeneous group of individuals, with a range of experiences. Asexuality is likely a normal variation in the experience of human sexuality, and future research into asexuality might inform our understanding of sexuality in general.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, 6th Floor, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1M9

    M. A. Yule & L. A. Brotto

  2. Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    B. B. Gorzalka

Authors
  1. M. A. Yule
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  2. L. A. Brotto
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  3. B. B. Gorzalka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. A. Yule.

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Conflict of Interest

M. A. Yule, L.A. Brotto, and B. B. Gorzalka each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Integrating the Psychosocial

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Yule, M.A., Brotto, L.A. & Gorzalka, B.B. Human Asexuality: What Do We Know About a Lack of Sexual Attraction?. Curr Sex Health Rep 9, 50–56 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-017-0100-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-017-0100-y

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