Editing Asexuality (section)

== Definition, identity and relationships ==
Because there is significant variation among those who identify as asexual, the term ''asexuality'' can encompass broad definitions.<ref name="Cerankowski and Milks">{{cite book |author=Karli June Cerankowski |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLgTAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 |title=Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives |author2=Megan Milks |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-134-69253-8 |pages=89–93 |access-date=July 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716130847/http://books.google.com/books?id=zLgTAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 |archive-date=July 16, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Researchers generally define asexuality as the lack of [[sexual attraction]] or the lack of interest in [[Human sexual activity|sexual activity]],<ref name="Sex and society" /><ref name="Prause" /><ref name="Bogaert2006">{{cite journal |last1=Bogaert |first1=Anthony F. |year=2006 |title=Toward a conceptual understanding of asexuality |url=http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18172400 |url-status=dead |journal=[[Review of General Psychology]] |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=241–250 |doi=10.1037/1089-2680.10.3.241 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114191419/http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18172400 |archive-date=January 14, 2012 |access-date=August 31, 2007 |s2cid=143968129}}</ref> though specific definitions vary—the term may be used to refer to individuals with low or absent sexual behavior or exclusively [[Romance (love)|romantic]] non-sexual partnerships in addition to low or absent [[sexual desire]] or attraction.<ref name="Prause" /><ref name="Fischer">{{cite book |author1=Nancy L. Fischer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SEmTDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA183 |title=Introducing the New Sexuality Studies |author2=Steven Seidman |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1317449188 |page=183 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726102104/https://books.google.com/books?id=SEmTDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA183 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Asexual Visibility and Education Network]] (AVEN), an [[Internet forum|online forum]] dedicated to asexuality, defines an asexual as "someone who does not experience sexual attraction", as well as adding that asexuality "at its core" is "just a word that people use to help figure themselves out", and encourages people to use the term ''asexual'' to define themselves "as long as it makes sense to do so".<ref name="Overview">{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Overview |url=http://www.asexuality.org/home/?q=overview.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119005301/http://www.asexuality.org/home/?q=overview.html |archive-date=November 19, 2016 |access-date=January 6, 2016 |publisher=The Asexual Visibility and Education Network}}</ref> Asexuality is often abbreviated as ''[[wikt:ace#Etymology 2|ace]]'', a phonetic shortening of ''asexual'',<ref name="AceSuits">{{cite book |author1=Decker |first=Julie Sondra|author-link=Julie Sondra Decker|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&q=ace+of+hearts |title=The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2015 |isbn=9781510700642 |access-date=20 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412030423/https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&q=ace+of+hearts |archive-date=April 12, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{page needed|date=April 2019}}</ref> and the community as a whole is likewise referred to as the ''ace community''.<ref name="Meg">{{cite book |author=Meg Barker |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dp8_R8A2PIYC&pg=PA69 |title=Rewriting the Rules: An Integrative Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0415517621 |page=69 |access-date=February 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726103159/https://books.google.com/books?id=Dp8_R8A2PIYC&pg=PA69 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Tarrant">{{cite book |author=Shira Tarrant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jqjwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA256 |title=Gender, Sex, and Politics: In the Streets and Between the Sheets in the 21st Century |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2015 |isbn=978-1317814764 |pages=254–256 |access-date=February 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524061206/https://books.google.com/books?id=jqjwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA256 |archive-date=May 24, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Relationships ===
{{See also|Queerplatonic relationship}}
{{stack|[[File:a_spec_compass.svg|thumb|Simplified diagram of the aromantic and asexual spectra]]}}
Despite lacking sexual attraction, some asexuals might engage in purely romantic relationships, while others may not.<ref name="Sex and society" /><ref name="Richards and Barker">{{cite book |author=Christina Richards |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSiXAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT124 |title=Sexuality and Gender for Mental Health Professionals: A Practical Guide |author2=Meg Barker |publisher=[[SAGE Publications|SAGE]] |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4462-9313-3 |pages=124–127 |access-date=July 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728200354/http://books.google.com/books?id=uSiXAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT124 |archive-date=July 28, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some who identify as asexual report that they experience sexual attraction, though lack the inclination to act on it, citing no desire to engage in sexual activity—some asexuals also lack the desire to engage in non-sexual physical activity such as [[cuddling]] or [[Holding hands|hand-holding]], while others choose to do so.<ref name="Halter" /><ref name="DePaulo" /><ref name="Prause" /><ref name="Cerankowski and Milks" /> Asexual people may seek relationships without romantic or sexual activity, known as "[[queerplatonic relationship]]s".<ref name="AceSuits" /> A ''squish'' is a term used by the asexual community to describe a platonic [[Limerence|crush]].<ref name="AceSuits" />

Certain asexuals may participate in sexual activity out of curiosity.<ref name="Prause" />  Some may also [[Masturbation|masturbate]] as a form of solitary release, while others may not feel a need to do so.<ref name="Cerankowski and Milks" /><ref name="New Scientist">{{cite web |author=Westphal, Sylvia Pagan |title=Feature: Glad to be asexual |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6533 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219003148/http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6533 |archive-date=December 19, 2007 |access-date=11 November 2007 |work=[[New Scientist]]}}</ref><ref name="Bridgeman">{{cite news |last=Bridgeman |first=Shelley |date=5 August 2007 |title=No sex please, we're asexual |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10455823&pnum=0 |url-status=live |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103013612/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10455823&pnum=0 |archive-date=November 3, 2018}}</ref> The desire for masturbation or other sexual activity is often referred to as ''[[Libido|sex drive]]'' by asexuals, who disassociate it from sexual attraction and being asexual; asexuals who masturbate generally consider it to be a normal product of the human body rather than a sign of latent sexuality, and others do not find it pleasurable.<ref name="Prause" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yule |first1=Morag A. |last2=Brotto |first2=Lori A. |last3=Gorzalka |first3=Boris B. |year=2014 |title=Sexual fantasy and masturbation among asexual individuals |journal=The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=89–95 |doi=10.3138/cjhs.2409 |s2cid=4091448}}</ref> Some asexual men are unable to get an [[erection]] and are unable to attempt [[Sexual penetration|penetration]].<ref name="More to life">{{cite journal |last=Carrigan |first=Mark |date=August 2011 |title=There's More to Life Than Just Sex? Difference and Commonality Within the Asexual Community |journal=Sexualities |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=462–478 |doi=10.1177/1363460711406462 |s2cid=146445274}}</ref> Asexuals also differ in their views on performing sexual acts — some are indifferent and may engage in sexual activity for the benefit of a romantic partner, while others are more strongly averse to the idea, though they are not typically [[Antisexualism|against sex as a whole]].<ref name="Prause" /><ref name="Cerankowski and Milks" /><ref name="Bridgeman" />

Many who identify as asexual may identify with diverse [[gender identity|gender identities]] or classifications of [[romantic orientation]].<ref name="Padraig">{{Cite journal |last1=MacNeela |first1=Pádraig |last2=Murphy |first2=Aisling |date=December 30, 2014 |title=Freedom, Invisibility, and Community: A Qualitative Study of Self-Identification with Asexuality |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=799–812 |doi=10.1007/s10508-014-0458-0 |issn=0004-0002 |pmid=25548065 |s2cid=23757013}}</ref> These are often integrated with a person's asexual identity, and asexuals may still identify as [[Heterosexuality|heterosexual]], [[lesbian]], [[Homosexuality|gay]], [[Bisexuality|bisexual]] or [[Pansexuality|pansexual]] regarding romantic or emotional aspects of [[sexual orientation]] or [[sexual identity]] in addition to identifying as asexual.<ref name="Richards and Barker" /> The romantic aspects of sexual orientations may also be indicated by a variety of romantic identities, including [[biromantic]], [[heteroromantic]], [[homoromantic]], or [[panromantic]], and those who do not experience romantic attraction may identify as [[aromantic]].<ref name="Cerankowski and Milks" /><ref name="Richards and Barker" /> This split between romantic and sexual orientation is commonly explained as the [[split attraction model]], which states that romantic and sexual attraction are not strictly linked for all people. Individuals who are both aromantic and asexual are sometimes known as "''[[wikt:aro-ace#English|aro-ace]]''" or "''aroace''".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kliegman |first=Julie |date=2021-10-29 |title=What Does AroAce Mean? Not Everyone Who's Aromantic Is Asexual |url=https://www.bustle.com/wellness/aroace-aromantic-asexual-yasmin-benoit |access-date=2022-08-04 |website=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Gray asexuality ===
{{See also|Gray asexuality}}

The term "''[[gray asexuality]]''" refers to the spectrum between asexuality and non-asexuality (also referred to as {{Visible anchor|allosexuality|allosexual|text=''[[allosexuality]]''}}).<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal |last1=Chasin |first1=CJ DeLuzio |year=2015 |title=Making Sense in and of the Asexual Community: Navigating Relationships and Identities in a Context of Resistance |journal=Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=167–180 |doi=10.1002/casp.2203 |issn=1099-1298}}</ref> Individuals who identify as gray asexual may occasionally experience sexual attraction, or only experience sexual attraction as a secondary component once a reasonably stable or large emotional connection has been formed with the target, known as ''[[demisexuality]]''.<ref name="Cerankowski and Milks" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Adler |first=Melissa |title=Serving LGBTIQ Library and Archives Users |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7864-4894-4 |editor-last=Greenblatt |editor-first=Ellen |location=[[North Carolina]] |chapter=Meeting the Needs of LGBTIQ Library Users and Their Librarians: A Study of User Satisfaction and LGBTIQ Collection Development in Academic Libraries}}</ref>