The DOI matches its Crossref record; 108 of the 108 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 3 of the 24 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
“Sex without Sexual Attraction?“: Perceived Sexual Experiences of Indian Sex-favourable Asexuals
Open accessAbstract
Asexuality is not a complete aversion to sex or sexual activity; instead, there are a range of ways that some asexual people engage with sexual activities. The current qualitative study explored the sexual experiences (self-pleasure and partnered activities) of sex-favourable asexuals within the Indian cultural context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants and analysed using thematic analysis. Results revealed how sex-favourable asexuals experience sexual arousal without experiencing ‘sexual attraction’, leading them to engage in sexual activities. Participants understood their sexuality through feeling different from others, followed by self-exploration, resulting in self-acceptance. Further, participants identified self-pleasure as a tool for self-empowerment and stress management, leading to a preference for masturbation over partner-involved sex. Partner-involved sex was primarily due to extrinsic demands (peer pressure, pressure from partner). This study calls attention towards developing inclusive practices, sex education and community awareness about this understudied section of the queer community and, most importantly, enabling representation of their experiences within the academic literature about sex and sexuality.
Overview
CoChat Summary
TL;DR
This qualitative study explored how 15 Indian sex-favourable asexuals perceive self-pleasure and partner-involved sexual experiences, finding that they can experience sexual arousal without sexual attraction. Participants often preferred self-pleasure for empowerment and stress relief, while partner-involved sex was largely driven by extrinsic pressures and frequently experienced negatively.
Key findings
- Participants described sexual arousal without sexual attraction, with non-sexual partner qualities such as personality, voice, aesthetic appeal, and emotional bond being more important than sexual attraction.
- Of the 15 participants, 11 had engaged in both partner-involved sexual activity and self-pleasure, two only in partner-involved sex, and two only in self-pleasure; 10 out of 15 expressed aversion towards partner-involved sexual activities, reporting numbness, blankness, dissatisfaction, disgust, or dissociation.
- Self-pleasure was framed as biologically driven, a stress-management tool, and an expression of self-love/empowerment, leading to a preference for masturbation over partner-involved sex.
- Partner-involved sex was primarily motivated by extrinsic factors such as peer pressure, fear of missing out, partner pressure, guilt, and fear of abandonment; one participant was an outlier who reported positive and satisfying partner-involved sex.
Methods
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants aged 18–42 years (*M* = 24.86), recruited through purposive and snowball sampling via social media platforms dedicated to the Indian asexual community from August to September 2021.
- Inclusion criteria required participants to identify as sex-favourable asexuals, be 18+, have had some sexual experience (partnered or self-pleasure), and reside in India; participants were not given a fixed definition of sex-favourable asexuality.
- Interviews lasted 45–70 minutes, were conducted in English via Zoom, and were analysed using Clarke and Braun’s (2014) inductive thematic analysis, producing five overarching themes.
Limitations
- The paper states it could not encompass all socioeconomically, culturally, and linguistically diverse individuals within India; it also did not differentiate or explicitly address participants’ sexual and romantic preferences or relationship status.
- The paper notes that lack of awareness and non-inclusivity of asexuality could considerably impact participants’ experiences, and that the study excluded traumatic sexual experiences and mental health outcomes, potentially constructing an overly positive account.
- Evident from the text: the sample was small (15), highly educated (all had a bachelor’s degree or higher), English-speaking, and recruited through social media and snowball sampling, limiting generalisability.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
1 Valid · 4 Not valid · 12 Not checked · 78 Own results and interpretations
The cited sources that could be checked couldn’t confirm or dispute this claim.
In the paper
“and found non-sexual features of their partner (e.g. personality, intelligence, voice, emotional connection or matching socioemotional views) attractive rather than their physical appearance”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Amos & McCabe, 2017
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Could not verifycites Barelds et al., 2011 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Our copy of Barelds et al. (2011) consists only of institutional-record metadata — the title/author block (no section), the BibTeX/RIS export fields and citation strings (Abstract, pp. n/a), and the Handle.net record noting a 'Final publisher's version, 148 KB'. The only substantive text is the abstract, which describes comparing reality benchmarks (partner self-ratings vs observer ratings) for positive physical-attractiveness illusions in 70 couples and a small photograph effect on women's ratings; it says nothing about participants finding non-sexual features (personality, intelligence, voice, emotional connection, socioemotional matching) attractive rather than physical appearance. Searched: 'non-sexual features personality intelligence voice attractive partner', 'socioemotional views emotional connection voice intelligence', 'participants rated partner attractiveness procedure measures results' — no body text (Introduction/Methods/Results/Discussion) is present in our copy, so the decisive content may simply be missing. (LLM, conf=0.72)
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Clark et al., 2022 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“We also found that sex-favourable asexuals undergo a long process of critical reflection regarding their sexuality; actively exploring before coming to terms with, accepting, identifying and coming out - in line with previous research”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites González-Álvarez et al., 2022
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Partly supportedcites Kelleher & Murphy, 2022 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Our copy does describe the process the claim attributes: the Discussion states that 'discovery of an asexual identity involved a process of active searching' initiated by feeling different, with participants exploring other sexual identities (lesbian, bisexual, demisexual) before 'coming to terms with' and identifying as asexual, and Results/Discussion cover subsequent identification and disclosure/coming out. But the population qualifier 'sex-favourable asexuals' is not supported: the term sex-favourable does not appear in our copy (attitudes towards sex are only noted generically via Brotto & Yule, 2017), and the paper explicitly frames the discovery process as common across participants and 'not dependent upon age, gender, or a specific sexual or romantic identity', with its illustrative accounts of sexual exploration involving dislike of or repulsion from sex rather than a favourable stance toward it. (LLM, conf=0.78)
- Partly supportedcites Scherrer, 2008 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Scherrer (2008) does describe a reflective, staged process of coming to an asexual identity for the study's 102 AVEN-recruited asexual participants generally — e.g. Findings > "Essentially" Asexual, where Mollie says "I didn't call myself asexual for several months because I needed to have a good long think about the whole matter," and Jeanine/Christine describe years before finding the language — and the Conclusions frame this as a shared "social-psychological process of coming to an identity." However, our copy contains no "sex-favourable" subgroup or any categorization of participants by attitude toward sex (the closest material, Findings > The Meaning of the Sexual, discusses participants who enjoy cuddling/kissing or "pleasing my wife" but redefines those as non-sexual rather than marking them as a sex-favourable group), so the claim's attribution of this process specifically to sex-favourable asexuals is not supported. Nor does the paper report a "coming out" stage: searches for coming out/disclosure returned only identity-disclosure language about finding community online, not a coming-out finding. (LLM, conf=0.68)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The majority of the participants expressed that this expectation made them feel incomplete.”
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It is to be noted that for a substantial number of participants, the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for engaging in partner-involved sexual activity were negative in nature.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Instead, our participants reported unique experience of sexual arousal without the presence of sexual attraction - mirroring the findings of Zheng and Su (2018)”
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Zheng and Su (2018) source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
40 more claims
Create a free account to see all 95 claims and to verify the 5 references still open.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 32
- Probably not a substantial claim. 26
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Discussion · p. 15
“the way participants' perceived (subjec tive) their experiences of sexual activity is of prime importance rather than labelling it objectively as negative or positive.”
§ Note · p. 16
“Therefore the researchers tried to make a judgement about an experience being 'good' or 'bad' on behalf of participants.”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ KEYWORDS · p. 2
“asexuality fundamentally entails an absence of a sexual desire itself”
§ KEYWORDS · p. 2
“due to the varying levels of sexual arousal or desire, the asexual spectrum could be divided into sex-favourable, sex-repulsed or sex-indifferent asexuals”
Cited works that were retracted
Works this paper cites that were later retracted, from the retraction notices publishers deposit. Major when the notice came out before this paper was published.
Rated major: it would touch a result — a value a result rests on, reported and recomputed p-values on opposite sides of the significance level, two passages that conflict with no sign which is right, or a cited work retracted before this paper was published.
Cited work 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.048 · retracted 2021-12-01 · notice 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.048 · this paper published 2025-06-19
Citations
Cites
1 retracted
RETRACTED: Sexual orientation, neuropsychiatric disorders and the neurotransmitters involved
Li, H., Fernández‐Guasti, A., Xu, Y., & Swaab, D. F. (2021) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.048 · Cited by 2
RetractedPurposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020) · Journal of Research in Nursing · doi:10.1177/1744987120927206 · Cited by 3,772
Terry, G., Hayfield, N., Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2017) · The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.4135/9781526405555.n2 · Cited by 2,448
Ekman, P. (1992) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037//0033-295x.99.3.550 · Cited by 2,372
Sample size for qualitative research
Boddy, C. R. (2016) · Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal · doi:10.1108/qmr-06-2016-0053 · Cited by 1,669
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2014) · Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_311 · Cited by 885
Asexuality: Prevalence and associated factors in a national probability sample
Bogaert, A. F. (2004) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224490409552235 · Cited by 375
A Sex-Positive Framework for Research on Adolescent Sexuality
Harden, K. P. (2014) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691614535934 · Cited by 313
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
(2022) · doi:10.1145/3491102 · Cited by 308
Media: A Catalyst for Resilience in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth
Craig, S. L., McInroy, L., McCready, L. T., & Alaggia, R. (2015) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2015.1040193 · Cited by 268
Ratings of voice attractiveness predict sexual behavior and body configuration
Hughes, S. M., Dispenza, F., & Gallup, G. G. (2004) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2004.06.001 · Cited by 265
Asexuality: a mixed-methods approach
Brotto, L. A., Knudson, G., Inskip, J., Rhodes, K., & Erskine, Y. (2010) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9434-x · Cited by 254 · cited 1×
“…from their allosexual counterparts e.g. interpersonal functioning (Yule et al., 2013), interpretation of social cues as sexual beliefs (Prause & Graham, 2007), sexual fantasies (Yule et al., 2014), and the finding that women are more likely to be asexual (A. F. Bogaert, 2004; Brotto et al., 2010).”
Hill, C. A., & Preston, L. K. (1996) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499609551812 · Cited by 232
Doing Gender in the Bedroom: Investing in Gender Norms and the Sexual Experience
Sanchez, D. T., Crocker, J., & Boike, K. R. (2005) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167205277333 · Cited by 231
Asexuality: classification and characterization
Prause, N., & Graham, C. A. (2007) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-006-9142-3 · Cited by 225
Asexuality: What It Is and Why It Matters
Bogaert, A. F. (2015) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2015.1015713 · Cited by 212
Coming to an Asexual Identity: Negotiating Identity, Negotiating Desire
Scherrer, K. S. (2008) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460708094269 · Cited by 203
Puberty and adolescent sexuality
Fortenberry, J. D. (2013) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.03.007 · Cited by 200
There’s more to life than sex? Difference and commonality within the asexual community
Carrigan, M. (2011) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460711406462 · Cited by 191
Robinson, B. A. (2018) · Journal of Marriage and Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12466 · Cited by 180
Raley, A. B., & Lucas, J. L. (2006) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1300/j082v51n02_02 · Cited by 171
Flowers, P., & Buston, K. (2001) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1006/jado.2000.0362 · Cited by 162
The Role of Masturbation in Healthy Sexual Development: Perceptions of Young Adults
Kaestle, C. E., & Allen, K. R. (2011) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-010-9722-0 · Cited by 162
Goldey, K. L., Posh, A. R., Bell, S. N., & van Anders, S. M. (2016) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0704-8 · Cited by 147
Asexuality: Sexual Orientation, Paraphilia, Sexual Dysfunction, or None of the Above?
Brotto, L. A., & Yule, M. A. (2016) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0802-7 · Cited by 145
Freedom, Invisibility, and Community: A Qualitative Study of Self-Identification with Asexuality
MacNeela, P., & Murphy, A. (2014) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-014-0458-0 · Cited by 143
Johns, M. M., Pingel, E. S., Eisenberg, A. L., Santana, M. L., & Bauermeister, J. A. (2012) · American Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.1177/1557988312455214 · Cited by 135
Colson, M., Lemaire, A., Pinton, P., Hamidi, K., & Klein, P. (2005) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00166.x · Cited by 131
Greater Expectations: Adolescents' Positive Motivations for Sex
Ott, M. A., Millstein, S. G., Ofner, S., & Halpern‐Felsher, B. L. (2006) · Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health · doi:10.1363/3808406 · Cited by 128
Culture, Sexualities, and Identities: Men Who Have Sex with Men in India
Khan, S. (2001) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1300/j082v40n03_06 · Cited by 125
Masturbation and Partnered Sex: Substitutes or Complements?
Regnerus, M., Price, J., & Gordon, D. (2017) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0975-8 · Cited by 114
Willis, M., Jozkowski, K. N., & Read, J. (2018) · Sex Education · doi:10.1080/14681811.2018.1510769 · Cited by 111
A Qualitative Exploration of the “Coming Out” Process for Asexual Individuals
Zangari, N. K. R., Low, K. G., & Query, A. N. (2015) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-015-0561-x · Cited by 110
Beauty and Status: The Illusion of Exchange in Partner Selection?
McClintock, E. A. (2014) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/0003122414536391 · Cited by 106
Mental health and interpersonal functioning in self-identified asexual men and women
Yule, M. A., Brotto, L. A., & Gorzalka, B. B. (2013) · Psychology and Sexuality · doi:10.1080/19419899.2013.774162 · Cited by 106
Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals: An In-Depth Exploration
Yule, M. A., Brotto, L. A., & Gorzalka, B. B. (2016) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0870-8 · Cited by 102
Campbell, S. M., & Zimmer‐Gembeck, M. J. (2015) · European Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1080/17405629.2015.1054373 · Cited by 100
Arousal and attraction: Evidence for automatic and controlled processes.
Foster, C. A., Witcher, B. S., Campbell, W. K., & Green, J. D. (1998) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.86 · Cited by 97
Stories About Asexuality: A Qualitative Study on Asexual Women
Houdenhove, E. V., Gijs, L. A. C. L., T'Sjoen, G. G., & Enzlin, P. (2014) · Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy · doi:10.1080/0092623x.2014.889053 · Cited by 96
The Health Benefits of Sexual Expression
Gianotten, W. L., Alley, J. C., & Diamond, L. M. (2021) · International Journal of Sexual Health · doi:10.1080/19317611.2021.1966564 · Cited by 96
Access to health services: Barriers faced by the transgender population in India
Pandya, A., & Redcay, A. (2020) · Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health · doi:10.1080/19359705.2020.1850592 · Cited by 94
Asexuality: An Extreme Variant of Sexual Desire Disorder?
Brotto, L. A., Yule, M. A., & Gorzalka, B. B. (2014) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/jsm.12806 · Cited by 85
A validated measure of no sexual attraction: the Asexuality Identification Scale.
Yule, M. A., Brotto, L., & Gorzalka, B. (2015) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/a0038196 · Cited by 81
Women’s Masturbation: Experiences of Sexual Empowerment in a Primarily Sex-Positive Sample
Bowman, C. P. (2014) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0361684313514855 · Cited by 76
Sexual Arousal and Desire: Interrelations and Responses to Three Modalities of Sexual Stimuli
Goldey, K. L., & van Anders, S. M. (2012) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02845.x · Cited by 69
Gangestad, S. W., Thornhill, R., & Garver‐Apgar, C. E. (2010) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.06.001 · Cited by 69
Development of Sexual Expectancies among Adolescents: Contributions by Parents, Peers and the Media
Ragsdale, K., Bersamin, M. M., Schwartz, S. J., Zamboanga, B. L., Kerrick, M. R., & Grube, J. W. (2013) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.753025 · Cited by 67
Gupta, K. (2015) · Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy · doi:10.1080/0092623x.2015.1113593 · Cited by 66
Hille, J. J., Simmons, M. K., & Sanders, S. A. (2019) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2019.1689378 · Cited by 65
Using Multiple Interviewers in Qualitative Research Studies
Matteson, S. M., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2008) · Qualitative Inquiry · doi:10.1177/1077800408330233 · Cited by 64
Hill, C. A. (2002) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224490209552145 · Cited by 61
Negotiating the Boundaries of Intimacy: The Personal Lives of Asexual People
Dawson, M., McDonnell, L., & Scott, S. (2016) · The Sociological Review · doi:10.1111/1467-954x.12362 · Cited by 61
A Seemingly Paradoxical Relationship Between Masturbation Frequency and Sexual Satisfaction
Fischer, N., & Træen, B. (2022) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-022-02305-8 · Cited by 60
People tend to overestimate their romantic partner's intelligence even more than their own
Gignac, G. E., & Zajenkowski, M. (2019) · Intelligence · doi:10.1016/j.intell.2019.01.004 · Cited by 59
Singh, Y., Aher, A., Shaikh, S., Mehta, S., Robertson, J. W., & Chakrapani, V. (2014) · International Journal of Transgenderism · doi:10.1080/15532739.2014.890559 · Cited by 57
What Can HCI Learn from Sexual Consent?
Strengers, Y., Sadowski, J., Li, Z., Shimshak, A., & Mueller, F. (2021) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3411764.3445107 · Cited by 56
Asexuality: from pathology to identity and beyond
Gressgård, R. (2013) · Psychology and Sexuality · doi:10.1080/19419899.2013.774166 · Cited by 55
Bogaert, A. F. (2013) · International handbooks of population · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5512-3_15 · Cited by 52
Amos, N., & McCabe, M. P. (2015) · International Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1002/ijop.12225 · Cited by 49
Stories of Non‐Becoming: Non‐Issues, Non‐Events and Non‐Identities in Asexual Lives
Scott, S., McDonnell, L., & Dawson, M. (2016) · Symbolic Interaction · doi:10.1002/symb.215 · Cited by 49
Rowland, D. L., Donarski, A., Graves, V., Caldwell, C., Hevesi, B., & Hevesi, K. (2019) · Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy · doi:10.1080/0092623x.2019.1586021 · Cited by 47
Rowland, D. L., Hevesi, K., Conway, G. R., & Kolba, T. N. (2019) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.10.012 · Cited by 46
Winer, C., Carroll, M., Yang, Y., Linder, K., & Miles, B. (2022) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/13634607221085485 · Cited by 46
“It’s easier just to say I’m queer”: Asexual college students’ strategic identity management.
Mollet, A. L. (2021) · Journal of Diversity in Higher Education · doi:10.1037/dhe0000210 · Cited by 45
McInroy, L. B., Zapcic, I., & Beer, O. W. J. (2021) · Convergence The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies · doi:10.1177/13548565211032377 · Cited by 45
Asexuality and Autochorissexualism (Identity-Less Sexuality)
Bogaert, A. F. (2012) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-012-9963-1 · Cited by 43
Sexual fantasy and masturbation among asexual individuals
Yule, M. A., Brotto, L. A., & Gorzalka, B. B. (2014) · The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality · doi:10.3138/cjhs.2409 · Cited by 43
Dawson, S. J., & Chivers, M. L. (2014) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/jsm.12430 · Cited by 41
Chasin, C. D. (2016) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0893-1 · Cited by 40
Patterns of Asexuality in China: Sexual Activity, Sexual and Romantic Attraction, and Sexual Desire
Zheng, L., & Su, Y. (2018) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-018-1158-y · Cited by 34
Asexual identity development and internalisation: a thematic analysis
Kelleher, S., & Murphy, M. (2024) · Sexual and Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2022.2091127 · Cited by 33
Psychological sexual dysfunctions
Caroll, J. M., & Alena, M. K. (2008) · Cited by 31
Mukherjee, A., Gopalakrishnan, R., Thangadurai, P., Kuruvilla, A., & Jacob, K. S. (2019) · Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine · doi:10.4103/ijpsym.ijpsym_441_18 · Cited by 30
An assessment of positive illusions of the physical attractiveness of romantic partners
Barelds, D. P. H., Dijkstra, P., Koudenburg, N., & Swami, V. (2011) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407510385492 · Cited by 29
Álvarez, R. G., ten Brummelaar, M., Orwa, S., & López, M. L. (2021) · Children & Society · doi:10.1111/chso.12464 · Cited by 29
Perceptions and meta-perceptions of self and partner physical attractiveness
Swami, V., Waters, L., & Furnham, A. F. (2010) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.06.011 · Cited by 25
A Chronicle of Sexuality in the Indian Subcontinent
Das, K., & Rao, T. S. (2019) · Journal of Psychosexual Health · doi:10.1177/2631831818822017 · Cited by 25
Sex can wait, masturbate: The politics of masturbation training
Gill, M. (2012) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460712439655 · Cited by 24
Understanding Threesomes: Gender, Sex, and Consensual Non-Monogamy
Winn, J. R. (2020) · Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy · doi:10.1080/0092623x.2020.1794185 · Cited by 24
Asexuals negotiate the ‘onslaught of the heteronormative’
Vares, T. (2022) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460721993389 · Cited by 22
Ainsworth, S. E., & Baumeister, R. F. (2012) · Cited by 21
Patterns of sexual behavior and psychological processes in asexual persons: a systematic review
de Oliveira, L., Carvalho, J., Sarıkaya, S., Ürkmez, A., Salonia, A., Russo, G. I., & the EAU-YAU Men’s Health Working group (2020) · International Journal of Impotence Research · doi:10.1038/s41443-020-0336-3 · Cited by 21
Sexual Subjectivity in Solo and Partnered Masturbation Experiences Among Emerging Adult Women
Foust, M. D., Komolova, M., Malinowska, P., & Kyono, Y. (2022) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-022-02390-9 · Cited by 21
The Influences of Stigma on Sexuality among Sexual and Gender Minoritized Individuals in Urban India
Bowling, J., Mennicke, A. M., Blekfeld-Sztraky, D., Simmons, M. K., Dodge, B., Sundarraman, V., Lakshmi, B., Dharuman, S. T., & Herbenick, D. (2019) · International Journal of Sexual Health · doi:10.1080/19317611.2019.1625994 · Cited by 20
Underexplored Identities: Attending to Asexuality in Therapeutic Contexts
Steelman, S. M., & Hertlein, K. M. (2016) · International Journal of Systemic Therapy · doi:10.1080/08975353.2016.1169014 · Cited by 17
Empathy in intimate relationships: The role of positive illusions
Dijkstra, P., Barelds, D. P. H., Groothof, H. A. K., & van Bruggen, M. (2014) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.12142 · Cited by 15
Asexuality: When Sexual Attraction Is Lacking
Brotto, L. A., & Milani, S. (2022) · Focus on sexuality research · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-84273-4_19 · Cited by 15
Dhoest, A., & Simons, N. (2011) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118114254.ch16 · Cited by 13
Mismeasures of Asexual Desires
Milks, M. (2014) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315882673-8 · Cited by 11
Chasing Aces: Asexuality, Misinformation and the Challenges of Identity
Colborne, A. (2018) · Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management · doi:10.5931/djim.v14i0.6926 · Cited by 10
Patterns of Genital and Subjective Sexual Arousal in Cisgender Asexual Men
Skorska, M. N., Yule, M. A., Bogaert, A. F., & Brotto, L. A. (2022) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2022.2071411 · Cited by 10
From Self to Self: Masturbation as the Future of Sex
Francis, E. (2004) · Journal of Bisexuality · doi:10.1300/j159v04n03_14 · Cited by 9
Odenbring, Y. (2021) · Journal of Bisexuality · doi:10.1080/15299716.2021.1991544 · Cited by 7
Sexual and Affectionate Behaviors in Asexual and Allosexual Adults
Clark, A. N., Lefkowitz, E. S., & Zimmerman, C. (2023) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2022.2051161 · Cited by 7
Asexuality and Sexual Normativity
(2015) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315795768 · Cited by 6
Maji, S., Singh, T., Hooda, M., & Sarika, K. (2023) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5928 · Cited by 6
Perks of Coming Out of the Closet:From the Perspective of LGBTQ Individuals
Biswas, D., & Chaudhuri, A. (2018) · Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing · Cited by 5
13 years of Psychology & Sexuality : taking stock & outlining a new vision
Hammack, P. L., & Wignall, L. (2024) · Psychology and Sexuality · doi:10.1080/19419899.2024.2307213 · Cited by 4
Mahadik, H., Shaikh, M., & Muthe, M. (2024) · Journal of Psychosexual Health · doi:10.1177/26318318241252707 · Cited by 4
The pathologisation of sexual diversity – a critical scrutiny of the DSM
University of Coimbra, P., & Alcaire, R. (2015) · ex aequo - Revista da Associação Portuguesa de Estudos sobre as Mulheres · doi:10.22355/exaequo.2015.32.10 · Cited by 3
Julie Sondra Decker, The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality
Bibr, C. (2017) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460717724156 · Cited by 3
Exploring the Psycho-social Experiences of Asexuals in India
Chatterjee, N., & Rastogi, K. (2023) · Journal of Psychosexual Health · doi:10.1177/26318318231221927 · Cited by 2
Asexuality: from pathology to identity and beyond
Gressgård, R. (2024) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781003572541-6 · Cited by 2
Murtaugh, M. (2014) · Psychology and Sexuality · doi:10.1080/19419899.2014.967283 · Cited by 1
Acts of Disclosure: The Coming-Out Process of Contemporary Gay Men
Vargo, M. E. (2019) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315783727 · Cited by 1
Dambrowsky, H. (2023) · Crossings An Undergraduate Arts Journal · doi:10.29173/crossings137 · Cited by 1
(2019) · NSUWorks (Nova Southeastern University)
Understanding Threesomes: Gender, Sex, and Consensual Non-Monogamy
Scoats, R. (2019) · doi:10.4324/9780429453328
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Joseph, S. (1996). Gay and lesbian movement in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 31(33), 2228–2233. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4404520
- 10.9790/0837-2711012737 · DOI
- Pluckhan L. C. (2023). Self-esteem differences between asexual individuals and other sexual orientations [Doctoral dissertation]. Alliant International University. https://www.proquest.com/openview/0231092f66d8c06aa43894be8c01a217/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Cited by
Clark, A. N., Walters, T. L., & Hanna‐Walker, V. R. (2025) · Psychology and Sexuality · doi:10.1080/19419899.2024.2446774 · Cited by 1
Asexuality, Intimate Relationships, and Family
Glass, V. Q. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-22857-4_5
Introduction to Asexuality and Affirmative Care
Glass, V. Q. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-22857-4_1
Asexuality: History, Background, and Contemporary Issues
Glass, V. Q. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-22857-4_2
Metadata
- Authors
- Agrawal, N., Shainy, M. R., Sebastian, J., Srivastava, A., & Scoats, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Christ University (IN)
- Jain University (IN)
- Central University of Karnataka (IN)
- Birmingham City University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Agrawal, Nandini
- Venue
- Psychology & Sexuality
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2025-06-19
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1260-1280
- ISSN
- 1941-9902 (ISSN-L)
- 1941-9899
- OpenAlex
- W4411502541
- Semantic Scholar
- 545d11105a121b7bc0cd312a6c47db67aa74b47e
- Cited by
- 4
- References
- 108
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 2.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- doi.org/10.1080/policies-text-data-mining (tdm)
- Locations
- Psychology and Sexuality (publishedVersion)
- Research Square (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
- Keywords
- asexuality, sexual experience, self-pleasure, masturbation, self-acceptance, self-empowerment, stress management, peer pressure, Indian culture, queer communities, sex education
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.
The claim verdicts this report counts are experimental: their accuracy is not yet measured.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-11-13, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-11-13 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (qwen3.8-omni-flash).
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
Data sources
Bibliographic data: Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, Crossref.
Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.
