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Asexuality and genetics?


MooseAntlers

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I've wondered this actually..more in the sense of anything "different" being genetic. My great aunt never partnered up or had kids, my grandma(great aunts sister) only got married and had kids because of social pressures. My mom same thing, my mom is not asexual at all, but she has no interest in monogamy, she thinks the concept is stupid, and only married and had kids because she was pressured to do so. My brother is... i don't even know.. he lives as a guy ATM, but was on hormones and lived as a woman in New York for some time, and has lived androgynously as well, and has had both GFs and BFs(both as a male and female) . And i myself am aromatic asexual. It just seems like a lot of deviants in one family to not have ANY genetic components.

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Im amazed by how many people do have (possible) asexuals in their families. I don't think my asexuality has anything to with my upbringing. My parents are still together happily married, and both are sexual. I know because we're very open in talking about sex in our family. I grew up with having to be cautious, but not to fear it see it as anything negative. Though I suspect my older brother of being a heteroromantic asexual. He's had relationships like me, but was never interested in sex, actually he broke up with his girlfriend because he didn't want to. I haven't talked to him about this, because I'm still not sure of myself, let alone of 'coming out'. Besides my brother, I can't think of anyone else in my family who might be, but I'm not that close with my other relatives, so who knows?

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Well, men in my family tend to be womanizers.

I don't remember what was the subject, but we ended up talking about women. I said something along the lines of being single or "I'm cool without women" I really don't remember exactly. Then my father said "You are not going to deny your bloodline, are you?".

Then I said something in reply, whatever it was.

I just wanted to say "Fu:D you" in his face anyway.

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scarletlatitude

Look what I found: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29545469

"A small group of neurons that respond to the hormone oxytocin are key to controlling sexual behaviour in mice, a team has discovered"

Hmm... interesting stuff! Maybe hormones are our answer?

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Yeah, obviously this is all very complicated (honestly, I didn't expect all these responses). I will say, about the cooperative breeding, that my mother had a baby recently (let's just say she'll be at least sixty when he graduates). I've been helping a lot with making sure he's entertained, not crying, sleeping, etc., which is a little hard right now because of his teething. Anyways, I just found it funny that my family does sorta have a cooperative breeding type of thing going on.

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I do not have anyone that openly admits to being asexual/aromantic on either side of my family, except myself. I do have two openly lesbian aunts with life-partners, but that's about it. I have several relatives though that I suspect may be on either spectrum, as they have some behaviors that suggest it. Without them admitting to it though I can't confirm or deny it. For all I know the behaviors I'm witnessing on that side of my family is just because they are very strongly religious (Catholic) individuals, a matter of them just never finding a compatible partner, or some sort of just hidden relationship issues that come off strangely to people outside their relationship.

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specialsnowflake

There are certain genetic "disorders" in which asexuality is more prevalent such as aspergers and schizoid personality disorder (and more). It is possible that if these are running in a family that more members are more likely to be asexual.

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I don't think we can call hormones an answer. For one thing, if asexuals do have some sort of hormone issue, there has to be some sort of underlying reason for it that may even be genetic. Saying people are asexual because hormones is like saying it rains because water. There are more questions to ask: Do we produce too much oxytocin? Is it an issue with reuptake? Is the source genetic or something else? Also, speaking from a general, biological point of view, human beings are sexual year-round and it does not seem to be that way with mice. I would wait for the human studies.

Again, I'm standing by there being multiple causes, genetic, social, and environmental. Someone mentioned that it's likely polygenetic which gets a big old YES from me. Basic genetics education is really misleading. When people talk about "the gene for..." I wince a little, especially when it comes to the way the media has publicized the search for "the gay gene." It leads to many misconceptions about heredity and genetics in general... A lot of phenotypes are created by the interplay of many genes, accounting for some of the variation. Unfortunately, when you have many factors it makes it difficult to isolate any one of them. I'm not optimistic that there will be much headway on this subject for a long time, as the causes of sexual orientation at this time are still very poorly understood.

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Q.T. McWhiskers

Now that I think of it, my brother might be gray/demi. He never dated until his wife. They've been together since.

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This is actually very interesting because I'm completely assured that my brother is asexual. But on the other hand my mother is rather the opposite so it might just be a coincidence.

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