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- [Instructor] Hey Psych2Goers,
welcome back to another video.
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Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and mental health
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Now, back to the video.
Do you know what asexuality means?
According to the asexuality Visibility
and Education Network, or AVEN,
a person who identifies as asexual
does not experience sexual attraction
or an intrinsic desire to have sexual relationships
with another.
It's important to know what it means
because there's a lot of stereotypes
and false misinformation about the asexual community,
whether it's because of the assumptions
that are constantly made about asexual people
or the misinformation
about how people experience asexuality.
There are many people who don't fully understand what it is
and what it means.
So to help clear things up here are 10 things
people get wrong about asexual people.
Misconception number one.
People assume that they just haven't found
the right one yet.
Sometimes when a person identifies as asexual
and openly tells others about it,
they may be met with phrases such as,
"Don't worry, you just haven't found the right one yet,
or give it time, you'll find somebody
who is the one for you.
This is a downright denial
of their feelings and orientation.
Finding or not finding the right person
has nothing to do with someone's sexual orientation.
In cases like this, it's important
that you avoid making assumptions
and trust that they are the expert
of their own feelings and identity.
Misconception number two.
People who are asexual are not attracted to anybody.
Just because somebody is asexual,
does not necessarily mean that they're not attracted
to other people.
Being asexual means different things to different people.
And although some asexual people
do not experience sexual attraction towards others,
that doesn't mean that they can't experience other forms
of attraction, such as emotional, platonic,
sensual or even romantic attraction to others.
Misconception number three.
People who are asexual hate sex and do not have sex.
Not having sexual attraction and hating sex
are two different concepts.
The asexual community isn't anti-sex,
but rather they do not feel sexually attracted to anyone.
Some of them have sex, some masturbate,
while others might choose to not have sex at all,
as they are repulsed or uncomfortable by it.
Some may also express their intimacies
in other ways with each other.
Misconception number four.
Asexual people are celibate or abstinent.
Many people falsely think that asexuality is the same thing
as celibacy or abstinence.
So let's be clear on definitions.
Abstinence is the decision to not have sex.
This is usually temporary or changeable.
For example, you might abstain from sex until marriage
or abstain during a difficult period in your life
until you feel better.
Celibacy on the other hand is about deciding to abstain
from sex possibly for religious, cultural,
or personal reasons and it's often a lifelong commitment.
Abstinence and celibacy are choices,
whereas asexuality isn't.
What's more, asexual people might not actually abstain
from sex at all.
As mentioned earlier, some asexual people do have sex.
Misconception number five.
Asexual women do not get periods or do not have a uterus.
Women who identify as asexual
are often asked dehumanizing questions
such as do you have a vagina or do you have a uterus?
Regardless of whether a woman is asexual or not,
these questions are extremely personal
and are not questions that should be asked
under basic courtesy.
The fact is asexuality is only one type of identity
that has nothing to do with a person's biology.
Misconception number six.
Asexuality is a medical concern.
Do you assume that if a person identifies as asexual
than it means that there is something wrong with them?
Like many others, you might believe that biology dictates
that everybody must experience sexual attraction
and that if they don't, then something is wrong with them.
This is simply not the case.
Asexuality isn't a medical concern
and it is not something that needs to be fixed.
Misconception number five.
People who are asexual will never get married.
Are you someone who thinks
that because someone identifies as asexual,
it means that they will be single forever?
Asexual people are often told
that they will never get married
or will stay single for the rest of their lives.
But being asexual has nothing to do
with the desire to get married.
If they have a connection with another person,
then there is no reason why they would not
or should not be allowed to get married.
Misconception number eight.
There is a reason why people are asexual.
Do you think that there is a specific cause for asexuality?
A common misconception shared with other orientations,
such as homosexuality and bisexuality
is that there is a reason or underlying cause
for someone's sexuality.
But asexuality isn't genetic, the result of trauma
or caused by anything else.
Misconception number nine.
Asexual people tend to dress a certain way.
Like with other sexual orientations,
there are stereotypes that exist
that suggest asexual people dress in a certain way.
Statements such as prudish,
ugly according to beauty standards or shy nerds
are often used to belittle and mock asexual people.
But the fact of the matter is,
that being bisexual has nothing to do with your attire,
the jokes you crack or how you behave.
And misconception number 10,
all asexuals experience no sexual attraction at all.
Not everything is black or white.
Like how people view sexuality is a spectrum,
asexuality can be seen as a spectrum as well.
Some in the asexual community
can experience no sexual attraction,
a little sexual attraction
or even a lot of sexual attraction.
Everyone can experience different levels
of sexual attraction and still be part
of the asexual community.
But interestingly enough, one that is seen as a midpoint
between asexuality and sexuality is grey-sexuality.
Grey sexual people rarely experienced sexual attraction
at all or they experience it with very low intensity.
Did you learn something new about asexuality?
Let us know in the comments below.
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The references and studies used in this video
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Thanks so much for watching,
and we'll see you in our next video.