At a time when acceptance of different forms of sexual orientation is beginning to win out over intolerance, asexuality remains a relatively unknown phenomenon.

It is, fundamentally, about the absence of sexual desire as a stable attribute in a person . It is not, therefore, a sexual dysfunction or a disorder that prevents the person from expressing his/her affection and his/her desire to know someone intimately. Simply, the sexual impulse does not occur, and this does not pose any problem… beyond those that may be produced by the incomprehension of others.

This condition, while not a disease, is still seen as something strange, incomprehensible, or even something to be wary of; and that is that many people simply believe that asexuals do not exist, cannot exist. But nothing could be further from the truth. Not only do asexual people exist, but there are also different types . Below is a classification of ways in which asexuality can be expressed.

Types of asexuality

We must take into account that within what we understand as asexuality there are nuances, since there are different ways of living the lack of sexual desire. Here you can see a summary of the most known types of asexuality , although you should bear in mind that there is no official classification.

1. Aromantic asexuals

These are people who, in addition to not feeling sexual desire, also do not experience romantic love for other people. This combination means that they do not have such a marked predisposition to be interested in someone in particular , but this does not mean that they necessarily have to be cold or distant, much less that they hate everyone or that they are psychopaths.

2. Asexual romantics

As its name indicates, in this case the absence of sexual desire is combined with the possibility of feeling romantic attraction for other people .

It may come as a surprise that sexual desire and romantic interest can be separated, but at least in this kind of asexuality they can. It is a revealing fact that also tells us about the nature of human relationships between people who do have some kind of sexual orientation: love and desire are two processes that surely work in parallel, not as one and the same thing.

In turn, romantic asexuality can be divided into the following types:

Asexual bi-romantic

In this case, there is the possibility of feeling romantic attraction towards people of either sex . It is not strange that this type of psychological and biological propensity exists, since by eliminating the sexual component, the body forms that define each sex cease to mean something important, and it is possible to develop the same attitudes and emotional ties towards any person.

Homoromantic asexuals

Romantic attraction is always oriented towards people of the same sex , although lack of desire also occurs.

Similar sexual orientations

There are some guidelines with characteristics in common with asexuality. They are as follows:

Gray asexuality

In this case there is at least some sexual desire, although with a very low intensity, which normally has little effect on the way people behave who experience it. For example, someone may be attracted to someone by seeing him or her recite a poem, but just after that this interest shuts down and leaves virtually no trace. His name tries to reflect that difference of quantity with respect to pure asexuality.

Demysexuality

Demisexual people are only sexually attracted to people for whom they have previously felt a strong romantic interest . That is, it is a phenomenon that occurs on the basis that infatuation has appeared.

What isn’t asexuality?

The fact that asexuality is the lack of desire can lead to confusion, among other things, because very few people are known to be asexual. It is easy to confuse this psychological and physiological predisposition with an ideology or a way of thinking, but this is not the case.

For example, celibacy is not a type of asexuality . It is, in any case, a self-imposed commitment to avoid sexual activity for ethical or religious reasons.

There are also people who declare themselves to be anti-sexual . In this case something similar to celibacy occurs: the person believes that sex is something bad, a corrupting element that is problematic. Unlike what happens with celibacy, here the attitude towards sex not only serves to regulate one’s own behaviour, but it is believed to be a general problem, of the whole population.

Both celibacy and anti-sexuality are ideological positions that, in part, are voluntary and depend on the way each person interprets reality. In both cases it is possible to feel sexual desire.