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Whoa. Warwick Boar article?


AmoebicMe

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This is from October, but I couldn't find it in a search... And it's interesting. So, here's the link:

http://www.warwickboar.co.uk/boar/science/...ng_neither_way/

My favorite "hey, haven't seen that bit before" part is as follows:

"But recent reports such as those made by the Kinsey Institute, USA have provided further information. A survey was made to test the theory that sexual arousal was dependant on two factors: sexual excitation and inhibition. The survey was carried out on 1146 people, of whom 41 were identified as asexual they had lower scores for sexual desire, excitation, and ability to be aroused but had similar scores for inhibition as non-asexuals.

The study concluded that there were a number of people who had little or no sex drive without unusual signs of sexual inhibition and who also were as sexually experienced as others."

Cool man, cool!






2013 Mod Edit: The above link doesn't lead to the right article anymore, but an archived copy can be found here. For future reference:


Swinging neither way
Written by Richard Harveyspacer.gif
Last updated: Tue Oct 26 04:44:21 2004


Heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual and undefined. But is there a group still being overlooked? Richard Harvey investigates asexuality

Until very recently, the concept of asexuality in science has applied solely to asexual reproduction, for example - bacteria dividing to produce two daughter cells that are identical. Reproduction carried out by one individual in short.

Previously, anyone with a low or no sex drive or calling themselves asexual was described as having 'hypoactive sexual desire' in psychology text books and treated as unwell - often a low sex drive was associated with depression. But is it a disorder if some of these people live happy lives without sex and even pursue successful, if platonic, relationships?

A small number of people are now defining themselves as asexual defined as 'a person who does not experience sexual attraction' without also describing themselves as sexually dysfunctional, nor are they celibate abstaining from sexual activity. And since recent studies have been published these individuals can no longer be dismissed as biological anomalies. In fact, AVEN (the Asexual Visibility and Education Network) boasts and ever-increasing 1200 asexual members since its founding in 2001.

For the first time people are using asexuality as a sexual orientation on its own, not as a disorder. The problem with this is that it is difficult to characterise - could it be a state of extremely low sex drive and at the bottom of a scale of sexual interest? These people would likely have an innate, but suppressed orientation. Or is it another addition to the well studied states of hetero-, homo - and bi-sexuality?

There is also a great deal of diversity among those who call themselves asexual. Some experience physical arousal, and in the case of men can maintain an erection and some masturbate, but never experience the desire to do anything sexual with another person. Others never feel the need to get close to other people at all, and some feel a preference for men or women, but only in an emotional capacity.

It is this diversity that is causing debate in the scientific community over whether asexuality is a true sexual orientation or not. Another cause of confusion is the lack of any detailed scientific investigation into the concept. A study in the 1980s on rats and gerbils showed that 12 percent of a tested population had no interest in females; however it was not tested if this disinterest was due to attraction to other males.

A series of studies on sheep in the 1990's in Oregon State University, Portland, USA revealed further information. Rams were placed in enclosures with ewes on 18 different occasions and most mounted the ewes at any given opportunity, however approximately ten percent did not show any interest in the females.

These were then placed in enclosures with both a ram and a ewe to test 'interest' in either sex, some were more interested in other rams, but around two percent showed no interest in either sex. They were asexual, and this preference remained in tests the following year.

Yet this is not clear proof of asexuality in mammals it is very dangerous indeed to compare sexual behaviour in sheep to that of humans. But recent reports such as those made by the Kinsey Institute, USA have provided further information. A survey was made to test the theory that sexual arousal was dependant on two factors: sexual excitation and inhibition. The survey was carried out on 1146 people, of whom 41 were identified as asexual they had lower scores for sexual desire, excitation, and ability to be aroused but had similar scores for inhibition as non-asexuals.

The study concluded that there were a number of people who had little or no sex drive without unusual signs of sexual inhibition and who also were as sexually experienced as others.

Importantly, this study did not set out to investigate asexuality and was carried out mainly on psychology students under 25. More data and more investigation are vital to provide information for an informed decision for people to decide for themselves whether or not asexuality is a true sexual orientation. For the 1200 members at AVEN and others around the world, however, I suspect this is a step towards the confirmation of the sexual orientation they are already living.

For more information see the AVEN website at www.asexuality.org

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