Is Asexuality related to Asperger's?

Page 8 of 8 [ 128 posts ] Go to page Previous 1 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Previous topic | Next topic

paxfilosoof
Deinonychus

Joined: 4 Jul 2012
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Posts: 380

26 Apr 2013, 12:14 pm

rdos wrote:

Interesting thread. I posted to an evolutionary psychology list just to get some reasonable theories for the cause of asexuality, but nobody provided anything interesting (aside from some disease-models).

Thus, I posted my own model, and nobody really commented it.

Quote:

Let me introduce a new model of asexuality that also includes neurodiversity.

In Aspie Quiz, asexuality has a peculiar gender pattern. It doesn't have a gender bias in the neurotypical population, but is much more common in neurodiverse females.

Average scores: (0-2 range, N=16,423)
Male neurotypical: 0.11 - 0.16
Female neurotypical: 0.12 - 0.18
Male neurodiverse: 0.32 - 0.39
Female neurodiverse: 0.41 - 0.50

Asexuality has the largest (negative) correlation to neurotypical social traits. Neurotypical social traits can be summarized as a desire to socialize with strangers. In humans, sexual behavior is not related to periods of estrus, rather humans have evolved concealed estrus. It seems like neurotypical humans have evolved their sexual preferences as part of their social preferences. The desire to use sexual intercourse as a way to keep relationships together is a neurotypical social trait that sometimes is missing in neurodiversity.

This predicts that disliking sexual intercourse as a social behavior, but not as reproduction, should be correlated to neurodiversity.

Average scores for disliking sexual intercourse expect for reproduction
Male neurotypical: 0.06-0.10
Female neurotypical: 0.17-0.24
Male neurodiverse: 0.27-0.35
Female neurodiverse: 0.47-0.57

It shows the same bias as asexuality. Even more interesting, is that this trait correlates best to being asexual (r=0.38).

This leads up to the model. Asexuality in neurotypical humans have no adaptive function. The sexual behavior of neurotypical humans evolved as a social adaptation and become a universal. In Neanderthals, this evolution never happened and instead they had the ancestral state (possibly modified in some way). Neanderthal could control reproduction by only having sexual intercourse in order to reproduce. The manifestation of asexuality in our current culture is driven by the expectation that relationships and sexuality is always primarily based on sexual intercourse. People that dislike sexual intercourse will then be driven to identify as asexuals in order to escape these expectations. The reason why both asexuality and disliking sexual intercourse other than for reproduction are more prevalent in neurodiverse females than neurodiverse males is that females had the strongest reason to avoid non-reproductive sex. In fact, such a behavior was the norm before contraceptives became common

The problem with asking questions and studying them is that people lie. And this does not go away by having a lot of participants.

rdos
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jul 2005
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,089
Location: Sweden

27 Apr 2013, 2:34 am

paxfilosoof wrote:

The problem with asking questions and studying them is that people lie. And this does not go away by having a lot of participants.

What do they lie about? Being asexual?

The questions about being asexual and disliking sexual intercourse other than for reproduction were mixed-up with 150 other questions related to neurodiversity, so it was not a traditional study of sexuality, rather I used these questions in the context of neurodiversity in order to find links. Even if some participants lied about asexuality, I find it hard to believe they also lied about the other issues in a consistent manner, which means such random lying gets filtered out with larger populations.

SHEILD
Blue Jay

Joined: 29 Jul 2012
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Posts: 88

23 Jan 2014, 4:47 pm

I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if another autistic person told me they were asexual.

When I think about it; we typically have difficulty reading body language which is a huge part of sexual interactions, some of us hate to be touched, enjoy less social interaction and prefer being on our own to make our own decisions, and we tend to ignore or miss social expectations -we're not feeling the same pressure to do all the things society says is 'normal' -like entering into sexual relationships just to fit what society says is right.

That being said I've met autistic people who've identified gay, pan and bi so really I think it's more a people thing, less an autism/ASD thing.

redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

23 Jan 2014, 7:34 pm

<--- Been asexual for years. Likely will stay that way till he drops dead.

_________________
One Day At A Time.
His first book: http://www.amazon.com/Wetland-Other-Sto ... B00E0NVTL2
His second book: https://www.amazon.com/COMMONER-VAGABON ... oks&sr=1-2
His blog: http://seattlewordsmith.wordpress.com/

skibum
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,376
Location: my own little world

23 Jan 2014, 8:34 pm

I get pretty hormonal once in a blue moon for about an hour or so but other than that I am not really interested in sex and I never have been. I do it for my husband but other than that I could live the rest of my life without it and not even notice or care. I have also seen that trait on a lot of the girl Aspie trait lists that I have read.

_________________
"I'm bad and that's good. I'll never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

Wreck It Ralph

Ashariel
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 16 Jun 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,779
Location: US

23 Jan 2014, 8:38 pm

I'm asexual too. I tried my best, through 13 years of marriage, but it was just awful for me. :eew:

verlorenModus
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: 10 Oct 2012
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 44

24 Jan 2014, 8:38 am

i have physical "urges" that are not attached in any way to people... i get "hungry" and i take care of it myself, which is better on my sensory and anxiety issues anyways, but this is not associated with people in any way... i do not think of people or fantasize about them during it, i do not feel these "urges" when viewing or interacting with people "attractive" or otherwise. i desire cuddling and non-sexual close contact with people, preferably in a asexual romantic relationship... i permit very little physical contact with friends so my need for human contact gets focused on my partner. i am not sure what the correct terminology for all this is... :shrug:

RikkiK
Pileated woodpecker

Joined: 30 May 2011
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Posts: 189

24 Jan 2014, 12:09 pm

Callista wrote:

But asexuality is more common on the spectrum than off it; maybe as much as ten times more common (10% of the autistic population versus 1% of NTs).

I have to stress here that asexual just means "Does not want to have sex with other people." There's a lot of variety. Many asexuals want to have romantic, non-sexual relationships, probably with other asexuals. Many have physical sex drives that just don't point at other people.

This is something I've spent the last few years grappling with-- am I asexual? I'm not gay, I'm quite sure, but I really hate most physical contact, ESPECIALLY sexual contact. it just makes me feel sick, disgusted, repulsed even. But, I do I have, erm, sexual urges. I just can't stand the idea of having someone else touching my body for their/my enjoyment.

For me it's more psychological than physical- sexual contact can occasionally be enjoyable in the moment for me, but after the fact I feel utterly repulsed at myself. I think of it like doing drugs. Being high surely feels good, but it is not a lasting satisfaction and goes against what you psychologically reason to be the "right thing" to do with your body, leaving you worse off than before shooting up.

Does that makes sense?

Gyrxiur
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: 14 May 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 38
Location: Martin, Slovakia

05 Apr 2014, 2:14 pm

I am also aromantic asexual aspie.

Onixior
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 20 Apr 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 4

21 Jun 2014, 8:54 pm

Well, I have Asperger's and I'm a heteroromantic asexual. I am also a male, if it's of any importance (I'm guessing it is, since I saw people talking about it in some of the posts here).

KB8CWB
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 27 Feb 2014
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Posts: 637
Location: West Salem, Ohio

21 Jun 2014, 11:51 pm

Ok I suppose I will respond to the thread of the undead (thread necromancy anyone?). I am a heteroromantic asexual but having been married have had sexual relations to please my past wives (2). I seriously could do without sex for the rest of my life. I do like the other romantic things like hugging, cuddling, and occasional kissing. I do prefer sleeping alone however. I very much dislike sharing my covers and will steal them every time! :twisted:

jetbuilder
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,172

22 Jun 2014, 12:40 am

I'm asexual.

I kinda find some sex acts disgusting to even think about. I've had sex once several years ago, and I would have absolutely no problem with the idea of never having sex again.

_________________
Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
---- Stephen Chbosky
ASD Diagnosis on 7-17-14
My Tumblr: http://jetbuilder.tumblr.com/

Alita
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Oct 2013
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 924
Location: Surrounded by water

22 Jun 2014, 10:12 am

Mindslave wrote:

I think asexuality in Asperger's is related to a sane person's likely reaction to a hypersexual society.

Spot on.

_________________
"There once was a little molecule who dreamed of being part of the crest of a great wave..."
(From the story 'The Little Molecule' - Amazon Kindle, 2013)

Hopetobe
Pileated woodpecker

Joined: 8 Sep 2012
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 184

04 Jul 2014, 10:43 am

I´m so glad there are so many asexuals here. It´s so liberating to know that I´m the only one.

Romansky123
Blue Jay

Joined: 14 Oct 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 86
Location: Sunrise,Fl

30 Jan 2018, 5:15 am

I don't know whether there's q scientifically proven link or not but i"m autistic and asexual and a couple of my friends who are autistic as well are too

_________________
We both see the same World, but in a different way. Ty Feels the same joy I do, the joy of creation. We feel all the same things, only the shape of our feelings are different.
[Cassandra Clare][Lady Midnight]

Biscuitman
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 Mar 2013
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,674
Location: Dunking jammy dodgers

30 Jan 2018, 8:37 am

I am not but I do see sex as a huge complex added to people's lives. I would happily go without forever as it just seems alll a bit too much tbh, even though I have a sex drive and have sexual desires.

Page 8 of 8 [ 128 posts ] Go to page Previous 1 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Jump to:

Is Asexuality related to Asperger's? Post Reply New Topic

Is Asexuality related to Asperger's?