CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 254LGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicyGender and Feminist StudiesSexual function and dysfunction studies

Asexuality: a mixed-methods approach

Brotto, Lori A., Knudson, Gail, Inskip, Jess, Rhodes, Katherine, Erskine, Yvonne·2010·Archives of Sexual Behavior
DOI 10.1007/s10508-008-9434-x
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Current definitions of asexuality focus on sexual attraction, sexual behavior, and lack of sexual orientation or sexual excitation; however, the extent to which these definitions are accepted by self-identified asexuals is unknown. The goal of Study 1 was to examine relationship characteristics, frequency of sexual behaviors, sexual difficulties and distress, psychopathology, interpersonal functioning, and alexithymia in 187 asexuals recruited from the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN). Asexual men (n = 54) and women (n = 133) completed validated questionnaires online. Sexual response was lower than normative data and was not experienced as distressing, and masturbation frequency in males was similar to available data for sexual men. Social withdrawal was the most elevated personality subscale; however, interpersonal functioning was in the normal range. Alexithymia was elevated in 12%. Social desirability was also in the normal range. Study 2 was designed to expand upon these quantitative findings with 15 asexuals from Study 1 through in-depth telephone interviews. The findings suggest that asexuality is best conceptualized as a lack of sexual attraction; however, asexuals varied greatly in their experience of sexual response and behavior. Asexuals partnered with sexuals acknowledged having to "negotiate" sexual activity. There were not higher rates of psychopathology among asexuals; however, a subset might fit the criteria for Schizoid Personality Disorder. There was also strong opposition to viewing asexuality as an extreme case of sexual desire disorder. Finally, asexuals were very motivated to liaise with sex researchers to further the scientific study of asexuality.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/s10508-008-9434-x

Cites

66 of 66 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

2 of the 68 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Brotto, L. A., Knudson, G., Inskip, J., Rhodes, K., & Erskine, Y.
Affiliations
University of British Columbia (CA)
Corresponding author
Brotto, Lori A.
ORCID
Brotto, Lori A.
Venue
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2008-12-11
Volume
39
Issue
3
Pages
599-618
ISSN
  • 0004-0002 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2800
DOI
10.1007/s10508-008-9434-x
OpenAlex
W2075322046
Cited by
254
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 7
FWCI
4.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Archives of Sexual Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
Keywords
asexuality, sexual attraction, sexual behavior, sexual response, masturbation frequency, sexual dysfunction, sexual distress, psychopathology, interpersonal functioning, social withdrawal, alexithymia, schizoid personality disorder, sexual desire disorders
MeSH terms
Adult, Affective Symptoms, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Interviews as Topic, Male, Masturbation, Models, Psychological, Terminology as Topic, Personality, Surveys and Questionnaires, Religion and Sex, Schizoid Personality Disorder, Sexual Behavior, Sex Factors, Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological, Internet

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review