How do asexual people navigate intimacy?

A study conducted at the Center for Psychological Research and Social Intervention (CIS-Iscte) explored the factors associated with different cognitions, emotions, and desires reported by people on the asexuality spectrum (“a-spec” – a more inclusive term to illustrate the diversity of experiences and life stories). The results of this study highlight the importance of individual differences in the experiences of a-spec people, something that can contribute to promoting a more informed society and the development of more inclusive policies.

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Asexuality is typically defined as a lack of sexual attraction (sometimes associated with sexual aversion). However, this definition is simplistic and limited in describing the multitude of experiences lived by people in the asexual community. Exploring and characterizing this plurality of experiences was the motto for the research carried out by Ana Catarina Carvalho, PhD student in Psychology at Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, and David L. Rodrigues, researcher at CIS-Iscte and professor at Iscte’s School of Social Sciences. The study was recently published in the journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy and was partially funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Refs.: 2023.01784.BD and 2020.00523.CEECIND).

Ana Catarina Carvalho notes that “in recent years, there has been growing visibility of asexuality through activism and online communities such as the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN).” Despite this, asexuality remains underrepresented in research.

“The experiences of a-spec people are very diverse,” says researcher David L. Rodrigues. According to the literature, the experiences of a-spec people include: little or no sexual attraction; feeling sexual attraction only after establishing deep emotional connections; and even experiencing fluctuating levels of sexual attraction. Similarly, some a-spec people may feel little or no romantic attraction, while others may feel romantic attraction (with or without sexual attraction). “These differences and nuances relate to distinct perceptions, feelings, and experiences within the asexual community. For example, in how people interpret and navigate social and emotional relationships,” says the researcher.

In the study, 456 people of several nationalities who identified as a-spec answered several questions related to their identification with asexuality, the intensity of their sexual and romantic attractions, and attachment styles (i.e., how people experience intimacy and emotional dependence). Their past relationships were also explored to better understand their experiences and preferences.

Overall, the results indicated a strong identification with asexuality. People who identified more strongly with asexuality reported having less experience with romantic and sexual partners. At the same time, people who reported greater sexual and romantic attraction reported having had more relationships. Ana Catarina Carvalho explains that “these results highlight that some asexual people may need relationships to understand and accept their lack of sexual attraction, while others are still exploring their desires and often have difficulty establishing relationships because they are afraid to reveal their asexual identity to partners.” When attachment patterns were analyzed, the data indicated that an avoidant attachment style was associated with higher levels of asexual identification and lower levels of sexual and romantic attraction; an association was also found between anxious attachment and romantic attraction and desire for intimate relationships. The researcher clarifies that the results observed are consistent with previous findings in the literature, adding that "having an avoidant attachment style can create conflicts between asexual identity and feelings of romantic attraction, leading some people to fear intimacy, avoid closeness, and maintain emotional distance from partners. At the same time, a pattern of anxious attachment in asexual people may be associated with the fact that they consider the possibility of having intimate relationships in the future and feel anxiety due to a fear of rejection, which may or may not be related to uncertainty about what the other person might expect from them in terms of a romantic and sexual relationship."

The study warns that the analyses carried out do not establish causal relationships between the measures, and that secure attachment patterns were not considered. Thus, the research team cautions against automatically assuming that a-spec people tend to avoid intimacy, suggesting the need for further research to explore these issues over time. The team states in the article that “our results highlighted that sexual attraction and romantic attraction are distinct experiences that often coexist (but not necessarily) within the community.” Understanding that a-spec people have such distinct experiences “can contribute to improving society's knowledge about this community, promoting discourses of acceptance in the media and the general public and, therefore, a more understanding and equitable society,” concludes the CIS-Iscte team.

Text written by Pedro Simão Mendes (Science Communication Manager)