callogician Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 To what extent is aversion-asexuality in women associated with a history of rape and sexual abuse? Any anecdotes or peer reviewed studies on this subject would be appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites
mackat5 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 For me, I think there's a direct connection. After the rapes, it was, "If this is what sex is all about, I don't want anything to do with it." Now, mind you, this was mainly unconcious and I was a child. But I did close down. And now that I'm a senior, I don't see any need to open that up again. I really don't think that I'm "broken." Link to post Share on other sites
deladangerous Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 It seems a common assumption for others to make- that asexuals are only as they are because they were sexually abused.. but asexuality is a valid orientation, not a condition that comes with deep-seated psychological issues. My guess is that a few of us may have been, but most of us were not abused. Link to post Share on other sites
Shockwave Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 There has been so little research done on asexuality that I doubt there are any peer reviewed studies even planned on this subject. However, if you do a little research here you will find that this topic has been discussed extensively and the conclusion always seems to be that only a small percentage of us have suffered any kind of abuse. Link to post Share on other sites
Charlieee Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Well, in my case at least, I've never been sexually abused. The closest thing I've ever had was a guy trying to get me to kiss him, and me keeping on refusing and stuff. But that made me realize I was asexual, not the other way around. Link to post Share on other sites
spinneret Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 A history of rape or sexual abuse may correlate to sexual aversion, but I don't think it does to asexuality, which is not the same thing. The consensus here is that asexuality isn't a choice or a "result" of anything. It's just the way we are, like any other orientation. I've never been raped or abused. Link to post Share on other sites
cijay Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 A history of rape or sexual abuse may correlate to sexual aversion, but I don't think it does to asexuality, which is not the same thing. Pointing up, I feel lazy today...too hot, no effort to type and it'd just be redundant to this anyway. Link to post Share on other sites
Octarine Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I think that very few of us on this board have been sexually abused. I certainly haven't. Link to post Share on other sites
Eternal Winter Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hmmm, that's a good question. While I haven't been raped, I was molested by my babysitter when I was 3 or 4, though I sincerely doubt that has anything to do with my current preferences. If anything in my past caused my asexuality, it was probably the two times I had sex, and both experiences were bad an unfulfilling. Though whether that's a cause or an effect, I may never know. Link to post Share on other sites
Amcan Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 A history of rape or sexual abuse may correlate to sexual aversion, but I don't think it does to asexuality, which is not the same thing. The consensus here is that asexuality isn't a choice or a "result" of anything. It's just the way we are, like any other orientation.I've never been raped or abused. Yeah same here. A lot of asexuals don't have an aversion to sex. They just aren't bothered about it. Link to post Share on other sites
mackat5 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 I don't have an aversion to sex, I'm just not intereted. But in my case only, I feel that it goes back to the 2 rapes when I was about 10. I closed down before I knew what sex was really about. Now, mind you, I have no interest at all in opening up that part of my life, ever. I always have been different! :lol: Link to post Share on other sites
Rabger Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 There are no studies. However, it has nothing to do with orientation. I dont have any of that but I'm still asexual. Trauma can affect behavior but not who you are inside. Link to post Share on other sites
callogician Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 There are no studies. I set up a proxy server for pubmed and was able to find multiple studies related to this discussion within minutes. Never underestimate academia. Link to post Share on other sites
Rabger Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I set up a proxy server for pubmed and was able to find multiple studies related to this discussion within minutes. Never underestimate academia. You probably found studies on aversion and all that stuff, not asexuality and rape. Because most people have never heard of asexuality, including many researchers. And even if you managed to find a single study on asexuality and rape, chances are its flawed as all hell, as are most any studies having anything to do with any type of orientation. Link to post Share on other sites
mackat5 Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I should tell you that at the time, I was painfully shy, and the rapes certainly didn't help the situation. Add to that , I probably had a very low sex drive anyway. I do know that I am attracted to good-looking men. So it seems to me that in my case ONLY I was meant to be hetero. I cannot and do not speak for anybody else. Link to post Share on other sites
Wolf X Omega Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Well, I rarelly care or read about rape(Even if once i read an article on rape on wikipedia), And even though i can safely say, that some asexuals might say they are asexuals because they've suffered from sexual abuse in the past, but that would be a trauma, and not the actual sexual orientation. Link to post Share on other sites
spinneret Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 mackat5, you shouldn't feel like you have to add qualifiers to your asexuality. From what you've written here and elsewhere, you are indeed a survivor. Since as you've said you don't have an aversion to sex, it doesn't seem to me like your asexuality is a result of the rapes. I'm sure it did make you shut down sexually for a while, but the fact that you're here as an adult talking frankly about sex and sexuality implies to me that you have opened back up. Maybe you were a heteroromantic asexual all along. In any case, you're who you are now, and you're great. *hugs* Link to post Share on other sites
mackat5 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Weeellll, I got rid of the buried rage a few years ago, and I had a few very good gay men who taught me that there were men around who a person like me could actually trust. They remain very good friends! And I'm not putting qualifiers on who I am, this is what I have felt for many years before I found AVEN. I did want to have children at one point, when I was younger. And as I have said, I only speak for me. BTW thanks for the hugs....*HUGS* back (edit)There is a "wall" around that part of my psyche. That may be why I am able to be indifferent to the idea of sex. And I see no reason to break that wall down at this point in my life. Why should I now?? Link to post Share on other sites
KAGU143 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 The problem with trying to blame asexuality on trauma is that it doesn't account for the asexuality which is well documented in animals. As others have said or implied, asexuality is a rare but normal variation in human behavior - the same as homosexuality and other less common orientations - not a pathological condition. It is NOT the same thing as sexual aversion disorder. People with SAD often end up at AVEN, though, because they are perfectly welcome here and because the social issues they face are essentially the same. Despite that, they remain a small minority of our members. -Greybird Link to post Share on other sites
spinneret Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 People with SAD often end up at AVEN, though, because they are perfectly welcome here and because the social issues they face are essentially the same. Despite that, they remain a small minority of our members. Plus, I think a lot of people with sexual aversion disorders would be pretty disturbed by how openly and explicitly we discuss things. This isn't a place to go if you want to get away from discussion about sex and sexuality. We tend to confront this stuff head-on. Link to post Share on other sites
Lady Heartilly Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I've never been raped, abused, or anything close, and I think I may have a slight aversion to it, so I don't think abuse is necessarily a factor. Link to post Share on other sites
mackat5 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 OK, I don't know the mechanics of why I am the way that I am, I only know that I am asexual NOW. I closed off that area of my life so early in life that it's hard to say what might have happened otherwise. I will stick to what I have said previously, I at least now, have no aversion to sex. I have closed off that area for so long, that I couldn't open it up even if I wanted to, and I don't. Give me CHOCOLATE!! Oh, excuse me, must go get some(dark!) Link to post Share on other sites
oneofthesun Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I think Callogician was talking about those who sexually averse, not just asexual. Link to post Share on other sites
Amcan Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Give me CHOCOLATE!! *gives mackat5 chocolate* The question was: To what extent is aversion-asexuality in women associated with a history of rape and sexual abuse? Any anecdotes or peer reviewed studies on this subject would be appreciated. Suggests to me Callogician is talking about asexuals who are sexually averse. At least that was how I read it. Link to post Share on other sites
mackat5 Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 *Takes the chocolate, and eats* Thank you very much!! Now, if I could learn to trust men a little more.... Oh well, there's always my gay friends. Link to post Share on other sites
callogician Posted July 4, 2006 Author Share Posted July 4, 2006 You probably found studies on aversion and all that stuff, not asexuality and rape. Because most people have never heard of asexuality, including many researchers. And even if you managed to find a single study on asexuality and rape, chances are its flawed as all hell, as are most any studies having anything to do with any type of orientation. I found studies on sexual aversion and sexual abuse and demographic correlates with asexuality. You are right that I did not find studies on asexuality and rape. In my opinion, your attempt to disqualify studies without reviewing their methodologies reveals an obvious personal bias on your part and is an example of the logical fallacy known as "poisoning the well." I disagree with your claim that "studies having anything to do with any type of orientation" are "flawed as hell." I recently did a literature search on homosexuality and found many informative cross-sectional studies with good methodologies in reputable journals. My intention here is not to label a sexual orientation as trivial or pathological (in my opinion, a link to sexual abuse would not in any way devalue asexuality). I am attempting to understand what I believe to be a very interesting social phenomena. Whether you want to believe it or not, we are not wholly determined by our genes. Our early childhood experiences affect us in profound ways, and to seek insight into what makes us who we are is surely a worthy endeavor. Link to post Share on other sites
starrysky Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Poll I posted in the census forum: http://asexuality.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=14718 Doesn't prove or disprove anything, just something I posted out of curiosity. Link to post Share on other sites
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