scarletlatitude Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/hyposexuality-what-causes-symptoms-asexuality-difference-meaning-types-a8355786.html Independent 17 May 2018 Short snippet (actual article is longer): Quote Hyposexuality may not be a phrase you’re familiar with - but its symptoms are ubiquitous. The terminology is used by sexual health professionals to describe a condition characterised by decreased libido which can be experienced at different degrees and time periods for various reasons. It is occasionally wrongly aligned with asexuality - whereby someone does not experience sexual attraction towards others. The key difference between the two is that asexuality is an orientation whereas hyposexuality is a diagnosis. “Asexuality is an identity formed around community and personal experience,” explained a spokesperson for the LGBT Foundation, “while hyposexuality is a diagnosis given to people who are not asexual but are experiencing difficulty achieving sexual arousal.” Link to post Share on other sites
Norellia Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Ok so one thing I am unclear on with HSDD as a diagnosis is the lifelong vs acquired. It makes sense to me to diagnose someone with HSDD if they did not have lack of attraction before a certain event medicine, mental illness, or something else. But if it is lifelong wouldn't that just be asexuality? I've seen that one of the main differences between asexuality and HSDD is that asexuals experience less distress; however, if you diagnose someone with a sexual disorder it makes sense they would be more distressed over it than if you told them it was an orientation. I don't know really to me lifelong HSDD seems like it could just be asexuality, but instead of being told that they may just be asexual they just gave them a sexual/mental diagnosis. Thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites
law-ace Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Well, to me HSDD would be where a mental component is there - as in, having sex is something they wish to do, they consider people to sexually attractive or sexual activity as a valuable activity in their life. But there's a disconnect between other aspects, be that physical arousal or a sense of being 'in the mood'. And that disconnect is what causes the distress. Whereas someone could be asexual but doesn't realize that it's a thing, or feels pressured by society/culture/family/whoever to have a desire or interest for sex. In that case, the source of the distress is due to not meeting expectations. I'm sure there are asexual people diagnosed as HSDD if they or their health provider doesn't accept asexuality as an orientation. Link to post Share on other sites
daveb Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Decreased libido, compared to what they previously experienced? Or compared to the general population? In either case, asexuals can have libidos as strong as sexual people, but asexuals would not be drawn to partnered sex to satisfy libido (at least that is my understanding, so I could be mistaken), right? Link to post Share on other sites
Puck Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 20 minutes ago, daveb said: Decreased libido, compared to what they previously experienced? Or compared to the general population? In either case, asexuals can have libidos as strong as sexual people, but asexuals would not be drawn to partnered sex to satisfy libido (at least that is my understanding, so I could be mistaken), right? Yep, asexuality is about attraction not libido. Lack of sexual attraction and lack of libido are both things that lead to the “symptom” of not wanting sex, but it’s two different root causes. Sounds like this article is just rolling with the idea the an asexual is anyone who defines them self as one, not the actual definition. Link to post Share on other sites
Norellia Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Sexuality and how it is incorporated into relationships is super complex when your think about all the different factors lol. Sexual attraction, aesthetic attraction, libido, romantic attraction, sensual attraction, arousal, kinks...so much more than people make it out to be. Not that I think all the various elements are a bad thing, but it is just amazing how it can all be so different. Link to post Share on other sites
scarletlatitude Posted May 19, 2018 Author Share Posted May 19, 2018 This story is along the same vein but it is.... err, VERY anti asexual. >.< Also TMI for mentions of male sex things. https://www.askmen.com/news/dating/how-hyposexuality-differs-from-asexuality.html Edit: This one too, but it's not as negative as the Mens' Health one above: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/this-is-exactly-what-it-means-to-be-hyposexual-a3842521.html Link to post Share on other sites
Norellia Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Ugh that first article makes me angry lmao. It tries to point out that HSDD was made as a diagnosis in the 1980's after some. So just because it became an official thing before asexuality was acknowledged it is more valid. My thing with that is in the 1970-80's is when sex started to become more accepted and open, thus when doctor and psychologists could notice a difference in sexual attraction/arousal they made it a mental disorder. Along with that there are also cultural variations in attraction and arousal so setting a specific standard for what is normal is really hard to do. Then the main thing for being diagnosed with HSDD is the key thing of distress, but the operational definition for distress is to vague.. Again I don't doubt HSDD as a diagnosis, because if someone has experiences sexual attraction and arousal and has stopped then it makes sense. It is just that I think it is really hard to set what is and isn't normal for sexuality and then give it a life long diagnosis. Link to post Share on other sites
BlakeTheNightowl~ Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 omg i'm ace and no i'm not hyposexual pisses me off like we're some sort of disorder which we're not there's a difference Link to post Share on other sites
BlakeTheNightowl~ Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 sexual attraction / arousal = sex for me i'm just a sex repulsed ace who despises bodies 😜 Link to post Share on other sites
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