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What's a good synonym for interest in sex?


purplemutant

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We have a variety of labels to break down a persons identify. Typically these have multiple prefix choices like a, hetero, homo, bi, pan.

What's a good term for an interest in sex (regardless of how much)? That would be in contrast to sexual desire. Thus far I have been thinking "sex interested". So in my case it would be "pan sex interested". But that's a bit much. I want something simpler like pansexual, panromantic, ETC. A simple word + prefix.

Looking up synonyms for 'want' wasn't very helpful. Some of the things that came up were synonyms for desire, like 'need', 'appetite', 'craving', 'requirement'. I don't have a desire for sex with people. I don't need or require sex with people. So none of those terms are appropriate.

Some searching lead to 'attraction'. Unfortunately attraction is already used in regards to sexuality. It's at the top of every AVEN page. But sexattracted really seems to fit the bill. Here is what I found for a definition of attraction

at·trac·tion

əˈtrakSH(ə)n/
noun
the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or liking for someone or something.

Here are some synonyms for attraction

allure allurement appeal attractiveness bait captivation charm chemistry
come-on courting draw, drawing power, enchantment endearment enthrallment
enticement fascination gravitation inclination inducement interest invitation
lure magnetism pull seduction solicitation temptation tendency

None of that indicates desire/craving/urge/need. So attraction we be a good term in contrast to desire. Which further complicates attraction based definitions of sexual orientations. A person's attraction to sex may go down but their desire for sex wont. If someones desire for sex with people does in fact go down or disappear. Then that means sexual orientations can change. Which has some pretty serious implications for the gay rights movement.

We still have the issue of attraction already being used. So a term like 'sexattracted' has it's problems. Of course we wouldn't have those issues if 'attraction' was removed from definitions of sexual orientations. :)

Anyone have any other ideas for terms?

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Do you basically feel attracted to sex as an activity, but don't feel an attraction to the people you might share that activity with? Is that what we're trying to name here?

An interest in sex (with people) regardless of level of interest. Any "attraction" to the participants is irrelevant. A person (ace or allo) can have various levels of attraction to the participants; from zero to a whole lot.

Quite simply. What's the term for having an interest in sex?

Here is another term as an analogy. Gamer, noun: someone who has an interest in games. So what's the term that would be defined as "someone who has an interest in sex"? Using the format of the word 'gamer' doesn't quit work because then you get "sexer" and "sexist". And no I am not sexist :) Looking up the definition of ist; one of the things that came up was

Added to words to form nouns denoting:

  1. a person with a particular creative or academic role; artist, one who makes art; violinist, one who plays a violin; botanist, one who studies plants; psychiatrist, one who practices psychiatry

So if that's the case does that make a prostitute a sexist :lol:

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Here is an option. The suffix phile seems to fit the bill. Here is what wikipedia says

Suffixes with the common part -phil- (-phile, -philia, -phily, -philic) are used to specify some kind of attraction or affinity to something. They are antonymic to suffixes -phob-.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-phil-

So maybe a term like 'sexphile'. Although that's problematic because phile is used for things like pedophilia. Sexphile sounds like some kind of a perverted sex addict; rather than someone who is simply interested in sex.

A suffix of some kind might be the best option. I will keep looking at suffixes to see what I find.

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Here is another term as an analogy. Gamer, noun: someone who has an interest in games. So what's the term that would be defined as "someone who has an interest in sex"?

*Generally speaking,* I would use the term sexual. But, with a little clarification in mind:

I think here it's important to discern the difference between one who actually partakes in a certain activity, and one who has a sort of outside ("scientific") interest in things but no actual desire to partake of it themself.

Applying that to games, I would not call someone in the latter group a gamer. They aren't actually gaming.

Likewise, applying that to sex, I wouldn't call someone in the latter group a sexual. So, it depends what sort of "interest" we're talking about, here. If you were in the former group, I would at the very least think of you as a sexual being (though to what extent, it can obviously vary)

With asexuality's current definition, asexuals are very well capable of being sexual beings. And therein lies the confusion.

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I wasn't thinking of simple academic curiosity. I was thinking of an interest in engaging in sex. I don't want to use the term desire because desire is a craving/need. I am taking about a simple want. which is why I chose interest. "I'd like to do that" VS "I need to do that".

The problem with using the term sexual is that it's already used in regards to desire (or lack there of) for sex with people. Which is why I was thinking of the word sex with a suffix and the standard orientation prefixes. So for me it would be pansexsuffix, For others you could have homosexsuffix, hetersexsuffix ETC. Even though it's used in the term pedophilia, perhaps phile is the best option. Pansexphile, homosexphile, heterosexphile, bisexphile.

So you would have something like

A homosexphile is someone who has an interest in engaging in gay sex; regardless of orientation.

In many ways that works. But it also sounds like some kind of perversion. A suffix other than phile would be nice. But I haven't found a good suffix yet. Interestingly enough phile doesn't sound perverted in other cases. Take the word "audiophile". It doesn't sound like someone who has a fetish for stereo equipment. "Did you know that Joe is an audiophile? Do you have any idea what he does with those microphones?!"

So perhaps sexphile is the best option. Regardless; since I am creating a new term I would have to explain it anyway. Honestly this sort of term isn't something I would use with most people. It would largely be a term to use on AVEN and perhaps other parts of the internet. In the real world I would just say that I am interested in sex. Which I would then lead to "But you said that you're asexual! How can you be asexual and be interested in sex?". *insert lengthy explanation of sexual desire VS sexual interest*

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Yeah... sexphiles probably isn't a very good term to use. I'm pretty sure it's probably been done before, in a different sort of way, and I don't think Mulder and Scully gave their approval.

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Or, heretic idea, I know... what's so bad about "who enjoys sex"? ;)

Yeah, I kinda wanted to mention that as well, but decided not to.. In theory, we don't need special words for "someone enjoys X". The issue is that when you say "someone enjoys sex", the standard way to interpret that would mean a lot more than just "they enjoy the physical act".

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Yeah... sexphiles probably isn't a very good term to use. I'm pretty sure it's probably been done before, in a different sort of way, and I don't think Mulder and Scully gave their approval.

That sounds like a recipe for some really bad porn involving alien anal probes :lol:

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How about erotophile? (Also avoids the annoying mishmash of Greek and Latin roots... :P)

Or, heretic idea, I know... what's so bad about "who enjoys sex"? ;)

I hadn't thought of erotophile. That a good one. But yea I could just use a multi word description. I am a bit of a word geek and we do seem to be fond of coming up with various terms to describe our sexuality. I guess I just wanted a new term to make a clear distinction between sexual desire and sexual interest. Many people (aces included) would say that I couldn't possibly be asexual if I enjoy sex with people and have an interest in doing it again. Of course I qualify as ace under my definition of asexual because I lack the desire (urge/need) for sex with people. Just because I can happily go for the rest my life without sex with people, doesn't mean I have too. ;)

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Moved to The Gray Area, Sex and Related Discussions forum.

Bipolar Bear

Asexual Q&A Mod.

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the problem with "phile" is that isn't phila a "love for a thing"? it seems like you are wanting a way to describe interest whether it is a mild, moderate, or mighty interest in a thing, not just if it's a love for it.

Yea that's one problem with phile. Ultimately do we really need a term for this? Especially if it's a term that will likely only be used among aces. Mainly looking to distinguish my self from aces who aren't interested in sex. Since there is this idea that if you are asexual you have no interest in sex whatsoever. Which may be true for some aces, but not all. Heck, some people in the ace community would argue that I am not ace because I am interested in sex.

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hm, plus then you would need something for people who are neither interested in sex nor avoidant of it.

Yea something to indicate sex neutral. In the end it's probably best to just specify what interest (if any) you have in sex.

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honestly I never see the need (personally) for a one-word description when two or three words are fine. I'm always OK being wordy I guess :P. if I have to say "interested in sex" or "sex-neutral" than I am satisfied. I actually prefer to say "not asexual" over "sexual" or "allosexual"

Not asexual is good. Most people haven't heard of the term allosexual and sexual is a problematic term. I consider my self to be sexual, I do have a desire to masturbate and an interest in sex with people; but I am most defiantly asexual. That's why I tend to use the term allosexual. Of course wording can get tricky if I want to say that I am not allosexual. It's rather clumsy to say "I am not not asexual".

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I was looking this other thread recently.

http://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/113127-why-i-dont-want-to-be-grey-and-why-i-might-be-rejected-as-asexual/

In this thread Robin L suggested the term 'sex favorable'. That seems like a pretty good term. It's not perfect; but it's simpler than trying to come up with some Greek/Latin thing. It's a good counterpoint to sex repulsed. Like how sex positive is a good counterpoint to sex negative. So unless/until something better comes up, I will be identifying as sex favorable. :)

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