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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Does anyone here consider themselves to be asexual?

72 replies

TitsalinaBumPumpkin · 22/10/2010 21:18

This is something i have been looking at a lot recently i have had a 'light bulb' moment in my life!
Is anyone else here asexual or does anyone have any experience of a relationship betewwn an asexual and a sexual person?

OP posts:
topsi · 24/10/2010 13:53

Do you think it might be aspergers (?sp)or mild autism, not that I know much about either but the lack of need for physical contact of any kind might be a clue.
You could try an endocrinologist.

Powcat · 24/10/2010 14:48

I haven't really ever thought about autism or aspergers.Hmm
I have come to accept that I am Asexual, I am not ill ,thats just the way I am, I have no need (or want?) for treatment because that would be like sending someone to the doctor because they were homosexual.
Having said that I'm off to google aspergersConfused

loopylouwitchywoo6 · 24/10/2010 16:17

Could you try viagra? Or is that stupid?

MalificenceBloodandSand · 24/10/2010 19:36

Erm, yes, that would be pointless.

Viagra simply widens blood vessels to allow a man to get an erection, it's purely mechanical - a man has to want sex in order for it to work, it has no effect on sexual desire.

yesyouknowme · 24/10/2010 20:41

yes.my sister is asexual

loopylouwitchywoo6 · 24/10/2010 21:57

Ok sorry Blush

NotANewbie · 24/10/2010 22:22

I have thought about Aspergers. I have seen an endocrinologist and a psychsexual therapist. Not much help from them and they both said that I can't have any hormone problem because I fall pregnant easily and have normal pregnancies. I do wonder about Aspergers because sometimes I don't understand how to get on with people and I make stupid mistakes.

What if you get a physical urge, the longing to touch and be touched, but not the desire or arousal? I feel love and I feel pleasure but not sexual. I feel sensuousness and arousal from having my back lightly scratched all over, it's totally delicious but it's not at all sexual.

The first and only time I ever felt any lust or desire was in my 30s. The feelings were there, but even then my head and my body could not follow through and sex was unsatisfying.

So what am I?

SolidButShamblingUndeadBrass · 25/10/2010 02:39

NAN: most human beings like and need affectionate touch. That's not the same thing as sexual desire or we would not generally hug/kiss our DC.

topsi · 25/10/2010 07:57

Are you affectionate with your children?
You can get testosterone patches now called Intrinsia for women with low sexual desire.

Powcat · 25/10/2010 15:17

If you have low desire or have had desire in the past then yeh try the patches but if you have never had any desire with no want or need for sexual experiences at all then you are asexual and no amount of "treatment" will change that, its then about acceptance and understanding that some people are just made differently.
I only wish I had this information 10 years ago It may have saved alot of sleepless nights worry about what was wrong with me.
Now I know that I am perfectly fine the way I am just of a different persuasion!.

AdelaofBlois · 25/10/2010 16:25

What a fantastically brave post, both by yourself and others.

For a good half of my adult life I would have described myself similarly. It didn't make me any less desirous of physical comfort (I liked sleeping with people, cuddling them, waking up with them and having toast to start the day). If anything it made me a better and more widely choosing 'partner'. Yet I felt constantly pressured to justify it as a valid identity, and in some ways it led to the break up of some otherwise nice relationships ('you're not really asexual, nobody is, it must be me').

My situation is different to yours because it passed when I met my current partner, but that doesn't make me any less adamant that it was not a 'phase' but a genuine, heartfelt and honest expression of who I was sexually. There wasn't some magic switch or patch, just a change, in the same way I moved from single to settled, student to teacher, miserable git to vaguely nice person gradually and without the earlier identities being seen as invalid or unreturnable to. A huge thank you for the post, and a bump to all those pressured to believe this is not a real identity but a 'problem'.

Ultimately you and your partner clearly have a problem-not so much in the mechanics of his sex drive (assuming you both have imaginations) but because he may wish to feel desired as well as to desire. But a lot of people who are sexual suffer from not feeling that in sex, it doesn't mean you won't work it out if you wish to.

Courage to you all.

hmc · 25/10/2010 20:16

Topsi - can you advise where you can get hold of Intrinsia from a reputable source? I'm interested in getting some (could do with a bit of help in that department)

chrispt · 26/10/2010 01:12

Do you find sex with him unpleasant or are you able to enjoy your time together as time to bond and love each other?

I wouldn't suggest doing something that makes you uncomfortable, but would you feel able to show affection sexually and take enjoyment from his pleasure and feeling close?

If sex is something that neither excites nor disgusts, then it's worth talking to him about what he feels he gets from sex.

I know that sleeping with another woman wouldn't work for me because sex isn't just sex. It strengthens bonds and affirms the relationship along with many other facets of our marriage. But everyone is different. If sex for him is simply for the physical act (and you're open to the idea as mentioned above)then suggest an open relationship.

If it has no bearing on your relationship then you can just consider it a hobby. i have friends that i go kayaking or rockclimbing with. That is part of my life that i enjoy, but can't get from my wife. I know im not cheating on her since she has no inclination towards that part of my life.

I hope all works out and keep us posted.
kind regards

TitsalinaBumPumpkin · 26/10/2010 01:24

Thank you so much to everyone who has posted on this thread.
I am glad im not alone and that no one has been nasty!

DP hasn't said much, he has read AVEN, he is being quite pleasant at the moment and is being quiet about the whole thing so im not going to push it right now.

I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest now that other people know about me, i told my sister to and she wasn't at all surprised, she said she had actually guessed and looked into it as she had noticed how uncomfortable i am about affection and things like that.

I personally dont think Aspergers or Autism is something that could be considered in my case i dont have any other 'symptoms' for want of a better word.

Generally i am a very caring, compassionate being and i love people in general, i love being around people and talking to anyone, i am a very out going and laid back individual and very sociable.

I am so relaxed now its really great!

Thanks again. Smile

OP posts:
ScaryFucker · 26/10/2010 10:38

What are your plans now, tits ?

I can see you are more relaxed you are "out" (for want of a btter word), but how do things stand with your DH ?

Are you talking about it still? What do you and he see as a way forward...?

TitsalinaBumPumpkin · 26/10/2010 21:05

We haven't spoken about it today, he said he was going to make a decision about what he wanted to do as its his decision, i said i would be happy to stay in the relationship and if he wanted he could seek sex elsewhere and gave him some ground rules, he said he would never do that but i put it out there in case he does decide to but i dont think he will, i think as long as he is getting kisses and cuddles (which is our compromise as i find that easier) then he will be ok with sorting himself out.

I also told him that if he didn't want to be in the relationship without sex then i am willing to talk it through amicably and work something out so everything is done as smoothly and as pain free as possible.

He hasn't come back to me but is being very pleasant and we have had a nice couple of days so i have left it for now but have told him im always happy to discuss it should he want to.

He said he read Aven but didn't say what he thought about it.

Everyone has been so kind, thank you. Smile

OP posts:
TooImmature2BMum · 26/10/2010 21:30

You are so brave! Good luck with your DP. I am very nosy about this as I haven't a particular drive towards sex, per se, but I do towards orgasms (which don't come through sex, for me). So although I could do without sex, I couldn't do without orgasm. Do you orgasm? I don't know much about asexuality - does it mean no sexual feelings whatsoever, including that?

ScaryFucker · 26/10/2010 21:36

oh, good luck tits

I guess the ball is in his court then

TooImm, do you mean you have only have orgasms through clitoral stimulation ?

Because they don't happen for me either with penetration alone as is the case for many, many women

I still consider myself a sexual person though

TooImmature2BMum · 26/10/2010 21:40

Yes, that's what I mean. It doesn't have to be me doing it though! That's why I was asking - I wouldn't be 'hungry' for sex as such, but I wouldn't consider myself to be asexual and I was wondering what you would class as asexual, if you see what I mean.

ScaryFucker · 26/10/2010 21:42

I don't think that is what tits means, or most of the female population would class themselves asexual

shimmerysilverghosty · 26/10/2010 23:26

Actually I can identify with some of this thread on the AVEN site. My problem is that I completely lose interest in sex with my partners after a couple of months, it's all great until then and then it just goes. I still love them, want to be with them, am totally not interested in anyone else, just can't be bothered to have sex with them. It has happened every time and makes me feel it would be pointless to ever start another relationship as I know it will happen again.

Any thoughts anyone? I have sort of given up really and just accepted that this is me and I will be alone forever because of it.

SolidButShamblingUndeadBrass · 27/10/2010 10:02

SSG: Now I'm a bit like that. I like novelty when it comes to sex, once I've shagged someone a few times I do tend to lose interest. Though for me it's also bound up with other things which boil down to basically I don't like being in couple-relationships. SO now I don't do it and am perfectly happy.

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