-Vishva Shah, Intern at Heart it Out, Bangalore

Asexuality describes an absence of sexual appeal. Asexuals may be attracted by romance, but they may have no will to act sexually on these feelings.Asexuality is essentially a type of sexual orientation like heterosexual or homosexual.  It is unlike celibacy or abstinence. There is a spectrum of asexuality with many different experiences of people and desires for relationships, appeal, and excitement. Approximately 1% of individuals are asexual in the world, although experts think that the numbers can also be higher.

What is asexuality?

Asexuality, like homosexuality, bisexuality and heterosexuality, is sexual orientation. Asexual people are sometimes known as ace or aces for short. Asexual is an overarching concept which exists in a spectrum. It outlines a range of ways a person can identify. Although most asexual people have little interest in sex, they can be romantic. Others may not.  The emotional needs of asexual people are similar to all others. Most of them desire and form intimate emotional relations. The same sex or other sex may attract asexual persons.

Each asexual person has a different experience, including :

  • falling in love
  • experiencing arousal
  • having orgasms
  • masturbating
  • getting married
  • having children 

Different spectrums of asexuality

In LGBTQIAP+, the A stands for asexual spectrum, or a-spec. 

There are two types of orientation on the asexual spectrum: sexual orientation and romantic orientation. These categories encompass a wide range of identities. People who are asexual have the same emotional needs as everyone else. Everyone is unique, and how they meet their requirements differs greatly. Some aces can be looking for love partnerships. They may be romantically attracted to people of the same sex or persons of different sexes. Other aces prefer intimate relationships to deep friendships. Some might experience arousal, while others will masturbate despite having no desire to have sex with another person. Some asexual individuals are unwilling to have sexual contact, while others may feel "sex-neutral."

Some common identities that lie on the asexual or aromantic spectrum are:

Aromantic - Aromantic is a romantic orientation, as opposed to a sexual orientation. Although most people associate the two, they are not the same. Aromantics have little or no romantic attraction. Close friendships and other non romantic relationships are preferred. Many aromantic people will form QPPs, or queer platonic partnerships. QPPs are platonic, but they require the same level of dedication as romantic relationships. Some people in QPPs choose to live or raise their children together.

Demisexual - These individuals are sexually or romantically attracted to others only once they have formed a tight, emotional bond with them.

Graysexual or grayromantic - People who identify as graysexual or grayromantic identify somewhere between sexual and asexual. This includes, but is not restricted to:

  • individuals who only encounter romantic attraction on rare occasions
  • individuals who only encounter sexual attraction on rare occasions
  • people who are sexually attracted to others but have a low sex drive
  • people who crave and enjoy sexual or romantic relationships but only under certain conditions

In sum, some people are asexual, just as some are gay or bisexual.  Asexuality means that a person has no or little interest in sex. They may still be attracted to each other romantically, but they may not too.The asexual spectrum encompasses a wide range of identities, from those who have no sexual or romantic attraction to those who engage in sexual contact under certain conditions. Many asexual people develop meaningful, long-term relationships, and some marry or have children.