Asexuality refers to a lack of sexual attraction towards others. Asexual people may still have romantic feelings, but they do not experience sexual desire. Many people wonder if asexuality is something a person is born with or if it develops over time. Research into the causes of asexuality is still in early stages, but some studies provide insight into potential factors like genetics, hormone levels, and socialization. Understanding what contributes to asexuality can help friends, family, and society better support asexual identities.
What is Asexuality?
Asexuality exists on a spectrum, just like other sexual orientations. Some asexual people experience no sexual attraction at all, while others may feel sexual attraction on rare occasions or under specific circumstances. Many asexual people still form romantic relationships, they just do not feel the need or urge for sex that allosexual people (non-asexuals) describe.
While lack of sexual attraction is the only thing that defines asexuality, there are a variety of ways asexual people experience relationships, attraction, and arousal:
- Romantic asexuals have romantic feelings towards others but do not feel sexual attraction.
- Aromantic asexuals do not experience romantic or sexual attraction.
- Demisexuals may feel sexual attraction only after forming an emotional bond.
- Gray-asexuals (graysexual) occasionally experience sexual attraction, though rarely.
Many asexual people do end up in romantic relationships, and some are interested in sex purely for the physical pleasure or intimacy. However, their reasons for engaging in sexual activity differ from sexual people. Understanding the nuances within the asexual community can help dispel myths and misconceptions.
What Causes Asexuality?
The question of what causes asexuality intersects with several fields of research, from biology to social sciences. Currently there are several theories on contributing factors, though research is still ongoing. Here are some of the potential influences:
Genetics
Some preliminary research shows genetics could play a role. For example, one study found that asexual people are more likely to have asexual family members than sexual people. This suggests there could be an inherited component.
More robust twin studies need to be done to analyze the heritability of asexuality compared to environmental influences. There are likely multiple genes involved, rather than one specific “asexual gene.” Identifying specific genetic markers could confirm a biological basis.
Prenatal Hormones
Prenatal hormone exposure in the womb also affects sexual development and future sexual orientation. For example, girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which leads to increased androgen production, are more likely to be bisexual or lesbian later in life.
Some researchers hypothesize that a different balance of sex hormones in the womb could contribute to future asexuality. However, concrete data on prenatal hormones in asexual individuals has not yet confirmed this theory.
Neurological Differences
Brain scans of asexual people show some subtle differences from allosexual brains in areas responsible for sexual attraction and arousal. Asexuality could be linked to slight variations in neurology or connections between different brain regions.
One study found asexual people had lower reactivity to sexual images in the ventral striatum, a reward-processing region. Their medial prefrontal cortex, responsible for self-insight, also activated more strongly compared to allosexual people. This suggests a neurological basis to lack of sexual reactivity.
However, brain imaging studies tend to have small sample sizes. More neuroimaging research on a larger scale is needed to identify clearer patterns.
Trauma and Psychological Influences
Psychological factors like anxiety, low self-esteem, stress, or trauma can inhibit sexual desire and attraction in some individuals. People dealing with depression, panic attacks, PTSD, or sexual trauma sometimes identify as asexual due to lack of sexual interest.
However, mental health issues do not automatically equate to asexuality. Some asexual advocates argue that trauma being the sole cause of asexuality is an oversimplified explanation. More research is needed to analyze how various psychological influences may interact with biology in some asexual individuals.
Culture and Self-Identification
Over the past decade, growing visibility of asexuality as an identity has led to more people adopting the label. As asexuality becomes less stigmatized, individuals who always felt disconnected from sexuality may now have the language to understand themselves better.
Some theories suggest that broader cultural shifts, like later ages of sexual activity or decreased pressure around relationships, enable more people to openly identify as asexual. While culture does not directly determine orientation, it can shape how people interpret their feelings and attractions.
So in some individuals, a combination of innate biology and social/cultural influences likely contributes to identifying as asexual. However, others feel confident they were always asexual, even before having the term for it.
Is Asexuality a Choice?
One misconception is that asexuality is a deliberate abstinence from sex rather than an innate orientation. However, asexual people do not feel an innate drive or attraction compelling them to seek sex, unlike non-asexuals. For those who are asexual by orientation, it is not an active choice, just as heterosexuality or homosexuality are not choices.
That said, some individuals do make an intentional decision to abstain from sex or suppress sexual desire, sometimes for religious reasons. This celibacy differs from asexuality since it often involves having sexual attraction that one resists acting on. Some celibate people still identify as asexual for practical reasons, so there can be overlap. However, experts distinguish between celibacy as a choice and asexuality as an orientation.
There are also those who “identify” as asexual for a period of time to avoid sexual situations or emotional entanglements. While valid personal reasons may motivate this choice, it differs from a lifelong stable orientation of lacking sexual attraction. Transient periods of low desire do not necessarily equate to asexuality.
Overall, evidence shows orientation is fixed early on and not willfully chosen. Most asexual people did not make a conscious decision to become asexual, they simply failed to experience sexual attraction as they grew older. So ongoing research does not view asexuality itself as a choice, but studies do analyze how cultural and psychological influences might interact with biological predispositions.
Can Asexuality Change?
Asexuality is generally considered a stable, lifelong orientation, much like heterosexuality or homosexuality. Most asexual people say they have felt this way since puberty or have never experienced sexual attraction from the start.
However, sexuality exists on a spectrum, so a small minority of individuals identify as asexual for a period of time before experiencing some level of sexual attraction. Some studies estimate 1-5% of self-identified asexual people eventually do feel attraction later on.
Changes in asexual identification over time could stem from:
- Gradual onset of delayed puberty.
- Declining libido related to aging or health issues.
- Meeting a specific person who sparks sexual interest.
- Working through psychological issues inhibiting sexuality.
- Realizing aromantic identity after assuming asexuality.
- No longer feeling the need to avoid sexual situations.
So while fluidity in orientation does occur for a small subsection, experts emphasize asexuality is a valid lifelong identity for the majority. Asexual people may vacillate within the ace spectrum (such as shifting from completely asexual to gray-asexual), but wholesale change to an allosexual orientation is rare.
Accepting asexuality as a stable orientation for most provides validation and prevents marginalization. At the same time, recognizing that shifts on the sexuality spectrum can happen guards against rigid essentialist narratives. Acknowledging the diversity within asexuality fosters understanding and inclusion.
Is There a Cure for Asexuality?
Framing asexuality as something that needs a “cure” promotes problematic assumptions. Firstly, it signals that lack of attraction inherently makes someone defective or dysfunctional. It also implies that asexual people must be “fixed” by gaining sexual desire.
In reality, asexuality is not considered a medical disorder or illness. The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) clarified that asexuality does not automatically equate to having a sexual dysfunction. While some asexual people do struggle with associated anxiety or stress, asexuality itself is not the problem – societal stigma is often the greater concern.
Rather than seeking a “cure,” the goal for asexual people should be understanding themselves, communicating needs with partners, and finding accepting communities. Therapies focus on alleviating any associated mental health issues rather than reversing asexuality.
The exception is sometimes made for individuals with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). HSDD involves distress over lack of sexual attraction that disrupts quality of life. Hormone therapies or medications like flibanserin (Addyi) may help some of these individuals.
However, many asexual advocates argue HSDD should not be automatically prescribed for all people who experience little sexual attraction. Unless the individual is suffering significant personal distress over their low attraction, treatment is unnecessary. Pressuring asexual people to become sexual against their wishes is unethical.
Are Asexual People Healthy?
Asexuality is not associated with adverse health conditions or indicators on its own. In fact, some large studies show asexual people have better self-reported health than the general population.
However, asexual people who feel significant stress over navigating a very sexualized society, or confusion over not fitting cultural norms, do face greater risk for:
- Mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
- Low self-esteem.
- Suicidality.
- Physical health problems related to stress.
But these stem from cultural marginalization and discrimination, not anything inherent to asexuality itself. Creating more visibility and acceptance for asexual identities could increase overall health and wellbeing.
Some areas where asexual people may differ include:
- Lower rates of STDs – Asexual people have sex less frequently, reducing risk of exposure.
- Lower testosterone levels – Single asexual men show lower testosterone.
- Thinner cortex area – Asexual brains show less cortical thickness in reward-processing regions.
However, none of these indicate disorder or dysfunction. They simply reflect natural variation that may correlate with asexuality in some individuals.
In summary, asexuality itself does not equate to health problems or impairment. Creating a welcoming societal environment where asexual identities are visible and validated promotes the best health outcomes.
Conclusion
Research into the origins of asexuality is still evolving, with more studies needed to clarify genetic components versus environmental influences. Current evidence points to a complex interplay between biological factors like genetics and hormones, psychological elements like trauma or anxiety, and changing cultural dynamics that shape identity.
While understanding the roots of asexuality can combat misconceptions, experts emphasize that asexual individuals do not need to be “fixed” or converted. Accepting asexuality as a valid sexual orientation alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality provides the healthiest path forward. This allows asexual people to find pride in their identity and build fulfilling lives and relationships on their own terms.
| Factor | Contribution to Asexuality |
|---|---|
| Genetics | Potential heritable component based on studies of asexual people’s family members. |
| Prenatal Hormones | Theorized that hormone balance in the womb could play a role, but not confirmed by data. |
| Neurodevelopment | Brain scans show subtle differences in some asexual people, suggesting neurological basis. |
| Psychological Influences | Stress, trauma, anxiety may inhibit sexual feelings in some individuals. |
| Cultural Self-Identification | Growing awareness enables more people to adopt the asexual label. |