1) The study examined the sexual experiences, arousal levels, and desires of over 1,000 people, including 41 who identified as asexual. 2) Asexual participants reported lower levels of sexual desire and arousal than other participants, but their sexual behaviors and inhibitions did not significantly differ. 3) The study suggests that asexuality may be better characterized by low sexual motivation rather than by behaviors, and that asexuals appear to have comparable sexual experience to others due to factors like partner pressures or the young age of comparison groups.

1. Asexuality: A preliminary investigation
Prause, Nicole and Graham, C. A. 1 2,3
1
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington; 2 Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex,
Gender, and Reproduction; Department of Gender Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington
3
ABSTRACT Questionnaires used Sexual behaviors with partners
Sexual Behavior
14
• Demographic Questionnaire
We examined the sexual experience, sexual arousability, and sexual Asexuals had fewer
12
Number of partners
• Sexual Desire Inventory (Spector & Carey, 1996) 10
desire levels of 1,146 respondents (41 who self-identified as asexual) sexual partners than
• Sexual Arousability Inventory (Hoon, 1976) 8
using questionnaires on the Internet. Persons who identified as asexual others in the sample on
• Sexual Excitation Scale/Sexual Inhibition Scale (Bancroft & Janssen, 2000)
6
had lower levels of sexual desire and sexual arousability than those who 4
Type of partner average, but this
• Sexual Orientation Questionnaire
did not identify as asexual, but the sexual experiences and sexual 2 Sexual activity
difference did not reach
RESULTS
0 Sexual intercourse
inhibition of asexuals did not significantly differ from those who did Not asexual Asexual
significance.
Orientation
not identify as asexual. Forty-one individuals identified as asexual. Asexuals (M = 25.5, SD = CONCLUSIONS
6.2) were significantly older than those of other sexual orientations (M
= 21.6, SD = 6.2) in this sample (t(1144) = -3.05, p<.01), but there was Asexuals appears to be better characterized by low sexual desire and
no significant difference in the proportion of men or women in the two sexual excitation than by low levels of sexual behavior or high sexual
groups. One-half of participants who identified as asexual in the inhibition.
INTRODUCTION Asexuals may have comparable sexual behavior because of the
forced-choice sexual orientation question had written-in their sexual
There has been little empirical work focused on asexuality. orientation as “asexual” in the early write-in sexual orientation question young age of the comparison sample or because of unwanted, but
Furthermore, it is unclear what people mean when they self-identify as (see Table). consensual, sexual activity (O'Sullivan & Allgeier, 1998). However, this
‘asexual,’ but a growing internet community of asexuals suggests that is a convenience sample, which limits the conclusions possible about
use of this label may be increasing. Researchers’ use of the term Use of “Asexual” as Sexual Orientation the nature of asexuality. Future analyses will test the role of age in these
“asexual” has varied. An asexual has been defined as a person who has Original Orientation Reported Number of participants findings and integrate qualitative data collected.
engaged in few or no sexual behaviors (Rothblum & Brehony, 1993), Asexual 22 (53.7%) WORKS CITED
has low sexual desire (Prause, Weinberg, & Graham, 2002), has both Heterosexual 6 (14.7%)
little sexual experience and low sexual desire, or as having no Homosexual 1 (2.4%) Bogaert, A. F. (2003). Asexuality: Prevelance and associated
‘attraction’ to men or women (Jay, 2003; Nurius, 1983; Bogaert, 2003). Bisexual 1 (2.4%) factors in national probability sample. Paper presented at the
Based on pilot work, we hypothesized that asexuals would be Mixed 6 (14.6%) International Academy of Sex Research, Bloomington, IN.
characterized primarily by their absence of sexual desire. The term Unsure/Don’t Know 0 (0.0%) Jay, D. (2003). Asexual Visibility and Education Network.
“asexual” also has been used to refer to sexual orientation, but it is Retrieved, 2003, from the World Wide Web:
N/A/None 4 (9.8%)
unclear if people who identify as asexual use it in this way. We http://www.asexuality.org/info.htm
Uncodable 1 (2.4%)
surveyed respondents using online questionnaires, because they appear Locke, S. D., & Gilbert, B. O. (1995). Method of psychological
particularly effective at reaching small populations (Mustanski, 2001) Differences in Sexual Desire and Sexual Desire and Arousability assessment, self-disclosure, and experiential differences: A study of
and increasing self-disclosure (Locke & Gilbert, 1995).
Sexual Arousability by Orientation computer, questionnaire, and interview assessment formats. Journal of
80 Asexuals had significantly lower
60
Dyadic Sexual Desire (t(1144) = Social Behavior & Personality, 10(1), 255-263.
21.71, p<.01) and Solitary Sexual Prause, N., Weinberg, M., & Graham, C. A. (2002, March).
1140 1128
1143 1130
1140
1128 1134
40
Desire (t(1144) = -2.20, p<.05) than
Score
20
796
12
699
484
398
1023
956
962
448
403
184
100
86
1089
969
669
422
74
454
162
592
185
104
Questionnaire individuals with other sexual Rethinking low sexual desire: The desire construct and asexuality.
Presentation at the Clinical Colloquium series of the Indiana University
1029
285
87 1089
965
208
969
945
817
567
511
224
945
404
778 586
579
548
184
86
538
orientations.
764 554
1065
956
Dyadic desire
88
0
Department of Psychology in Bloomington, Indiana, United States.
625 Solitary desire
METHODS -20
431
312
Arousability
Asexuals had significantly lower
Mustanski, B. S. (2001). Getting wired: Exploiting the Internet for
Not asexual Asexual
Sexual Arousability (t(1141) = 11.76,
Participants completed an online questionnaire described as
Orientation
p<.01) than others in the sample. the collection of valid sexuality data. Journal of Sex Research, 38(4),
concerning “sexual desire and sexual orientation.” Of the 1,146 292-301.
participants (Female N = 511), 730 (64.8%) were college students Sexual Excitation/Inhibition Sexual Excitation Scale/
Sexual Inhibition Scale
Nurius, P. S. (1983). Mental health implications of sexual
enrolled in a psychology class and others were a convenience sample Asexuals had significantly lower 90
orientation. Journal of Sex Research, 19(2), 119-136.
from the Internet. We asked respondents to provide their sexual Sexual Excitation (t(1144) = 80
O'Sullivan, L. F., & Allgeier, E. R. (1998). Feigning Sexual Desire:
9.57, p<.01) and Sexual 70
orientation in the first questionnaire and later asked respondents their Inhibition due to threat of
60
Consenting to Unwanted Sexual Activity in Heterosexual Dating
Score
sexual orientation in a forced-choice format. This method was used to
50
performance failure (t(1144) = 40
Subscale
Relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 35(3), 234-243.
determine if asexuals spontaneously use the term “asexual” to describe -3.01, p<.01), but were no Excitation
Rothblum, E. D., & Brehony, K. A. (1993). Boston marriages:
30
different in their level of Sexual 20 Inhibition 1
their sexual orientation (see Table). Inhibition due to threat of 10
Heterosexual Homosexual Bisexual Asexual
Inhibition 2
Romantic but asexual relationships among contemporary lesbians.
performance consequences than ORIENT
other sexual orientations.
Supported by Kinsey Institute Student Grant-in-Aid and LE Project Grant