Does this qualify me as asexual?

[tgif]

I have been using the label heteroromantic asexual but I still have a few questions.

I don't find any attractive (by their looks). I never really understood when people thought actors or someone was "hot". I have some mild aesthetic attraction but all that does is make me not attracted to fat/smelly people lol. I also don't really like facial hair.

Anyway, I feel like I could develop a crush on almost any male whose personality I liked a lot. I have a crush on someone now who I don't find particularly attractive or anything (but then again I don't find anyone attractive). Does this alone qualify me as asexual? I don't have any sexual thoughts or desires but I'm only 15 so I haven't really experienced anything that would trigger that yet.

[Nomiverse]

As also a Hetero-Ace myself, I would say there is a possibility you might be Ace too. My advice is to wait longer (maybe until next year) and not focus on it too much, plus you're only 15 and your puberty may not have ended completely yet. Sexual attracton usually develops later than romantic attraction.

[Star Bit]

You're 15; most peoples sexual orientation development finalizes at 17; a minority at 20. So it could still be developing. Also, if you desire to make out with crushes but haven't yet then you could end up having responsive sexual desire (i.e. the requirement of foreplay to trigger sexual desire every time) like most women do.

The only requirement for asexuality is not desiring sex with anyone. Also, if you've never masturbated then things may not be "linked up" either. And if you can't then it could be due to a possibly life threatening health problem. Also, you're not on libido impairing medication right?

And when you say you get crushes, you mean this right?:

Romantic attraction - an emotion; so it doesn't translate well into words, but it can be inadequately put as soft/warm/fuzzy feelings with some degree of fixation (at least in comparison to one's normality with others). This is the base requirement, but some people also have a physical reaction to the feeling and others don’t (i.e. butterflies in their stomach, heart rate increase, blushing, etc. [though those can also be symptoms of platonic nervousness]). Others may react mentally with a dreamy mindset, anxious euphoria, infatuation, romantic fantasies, etc.

Also, aesthetic attraction can't really be mild; you either have it or you don't:

Aesthetic attraction - the pull to look at someone because of their beauty and/or mannerisms, which is different from just recognizing good looks/what’s aesthetically pleasing.

[binary suns]

attraction isn't by default sexual, it could also be romantic, and some people discuss feelings of platonic attraction

with attraction, sometimes we feel our feelings because of a person's looks or upon meeting them, that feelings come all at a rush. it doesn't sound like that happnes for you.

and sometimes it's normal for feelings to happen gradually over time. that, people grown on us and over time we feel more and more attracted towards them. this does sound like something you're experiencing?

from the description in your OP, it sounds sort of like you might be a romantic asexual. take some time to explore the forums and other sources of information. it takes time to understand this stuff xD it took me a few years to feel confident in my orientation, both because I needed to learn about the available knowledge, and also because I needed time to better understand my personal experience. (and this was all when I was 22-25)

[Snao Cone]

You'll find out. Fifteen is too early to tell for sure, especially if you're still drawn to being with people in an intimate (e.g. romantic) way.

A lot of people, sexual or asexual, are attracted to people based on their personalities, above a minimum bar of acceptable appearance. Less physically attractive people still have sex! Go figure. They find partners who desire sexual intimacy with them on other grounds. They may have a harder time finding partners at a young age (especially in their teens!) because of social pressures and immature minds of their dating pool, but that generally improves according to my experience and the experiences of my friends. Many people who are very sexual aren't sexually moved by hot celebrities, at least not to any greater magnitude than unaugmented people who may shop in the plus size section. [/rant]

[Anime Pancake]

I think asexual just means someone that is not interested in sex. Or has no desire to have sex.

If you find people attractive to look at or not does not make a person asexual or sexual.

[ShyFeather]

Welcome to the wonderful world of having zero aesthetic attraction~ On the plus side, when you say you don't care about looks you are sincere about this in a way most people won't understand. On the down side you'll have to live with a sort of color blindness when it comes to the wonders of aesthetic beauty people like to harp about.

Some things to understand about this. As you mentioned, this doesn't mean you are free of bias. You can still judge someone on their looks if you have biases, usually those passed down from society. We're not innocent, colorblind angels *loudly rolls eyes*.

Having zero aesthetic attraction generally means we overlook minor differences in appearance that most people make note of to determine how appealing someone is. You could compare this to how we see other species, like horses for example. You can judge a horse for it's color or their body shape. But what do you care if one horse has a snout that is 2cm shorter than other horses? Why do the other horses make a big deal about horses with slightly rounder eyes? They still look like a horse?

That's basically what the experience is like. This doesn't have any bearing on your sexuality. Sexual attraction is based who you want or don't want to have sex with. If you feel you haven't had much context to explore that feeling then just give it time. There's no rush and if you feel asexual describes how you feel now then it's fine to use the label if you want.

[tgif]

Welcome to the wonderful world of having zero aesthetic attraction~

Thanks! ^_^ I definitely feel like that fits me.

with attraction, sometimes we feel our feelings because of a person's looks or upon meeting them, that feelings come all at a rush. it doesn't sound like that happnes for you.

and sometimes it's normal for feelings to happen gradually over time. that, people grown on us and over time we feel more and more attracted towards them. this does sound like something you're experiencing?

1. Doesn't happen for me

2. I honestly don't know, I've had this one crush for like 4 or 5 years and it's basically the only crush I've had..

You're 15; most peoples sexual orientation development finalizes at 17; a minority at 20. So it could still be developing. Also, if you desire to make out with crushes but haven't yet then you could end up having responsive sexual desire (i.e. the requirement of foreplay to trigger sexual desire every time) like most women do.

The only requirement for asexuality is not desiring sex with anyone. Also, if you've never masturbated then things may not be "linked up" either. And if you can't then it could be due to a possibly life threatening health problem. Also, you're not on libido impairing medication right?

And when you say you get crushes, you mean this right?:

Romantic attraction - an emotion; so it doesn't translate well into words, but it can be inadequately put as soft/warm/fuzzy feelings with some degree of fixation (at least in comparison to one's normality with others). This is the base requirement, but some people also have a physical reaction to the feeling and others don’t (i.e. butterflies in their stomach, heart rate increase, blushing, etc. [though those can also be symptoms of platonic nervousness]). Others may react mentally with a dreamy mindset, anxious euphoria, infatuation, romantic fantasies, etc.

Also, aesthetic attraction can't really be mild; you either have it or you don't:

Aesthetic attraction - the pull to look at someone because of their beauty and/or mannerisms, which is different from just recognizing good looks/what’s aesthetically pleasing.

1. I have masturbated.

2. I am on libido impairing medication but I really don't think that's affecting it much because it's only been for a few months so far and I've felt this way about my sexuality for much longer than that.

3. Yes, I experience romantic attraction, but now I don't think I experience aesthetic attraction at all.

[Star Bit]

Not nececerily. As said, 15 is still too young to solidly tell orientation, and taking something that impairs sex-drive while that very thing being in development at that age is obviously not a clear sign that the person is asexual. Again, this thing is in development, so you 'feeling ace' prior to the medication is irrelevant because it may have developed afterward but be impaired due to medication. And as said, if you at least desire to make out with crushes then you could end up being a normal sexual person once you get to act on that desire. But libido impairing medication can effect both the arousal and orgasm intensity, as well as arousal frequency, so it can really effect it. That is to say, if you're not able to get aroused enough then the responsive desire for sex may not be triggered. Also, not experiencing aesthetic attraction isn't that odd; not everyone does.