Sex

Study examines asexual involvement in sex, including masturbation and fantasies

by Craig Takeuchi on December 3rd, 2016 at 3:00 PM
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      Asexuality is often misunderstood, misrepresented, or not even discussed.

      UBC Sexual Health Laboratory director Dr. Lori Brotto is one of the leading researchers who is contributing to more research on the subject so that asexual people can better understood.

      While many people may think that asexual people typically don't engage in sexual activities or thoughts, it's not quite so simple as that.

      In fact, some asexual people do engage in masturbation.

      In a Georgia Straight interview in 2013, Dr. Brotto explained that some asexual people describe the need to masturbate simply as any other bodily function (such as scratching an itch or urinating) though they may not necessarily derive any pleasure from it.

      This flag symbolizes asexuality and is often used to raise awareness about asexual people.
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      Dr. Brotto coauthored a new study which compared masturbation and sexual fantasies between sexual and asexual people.

      The study, entitled "Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals: An In-Depth Exploration", was published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour on November 23, Brotto

      It involved 351 asexual participants (292 women and 52 men) and 388 sexual participants (221 women and 167 men).

      Out of all groups, asexual women were the least likely to report masturbation for pleasure. Asexual men reported less masturbation than sexual men.

      Also, both asexual men and women had far less sexual fantasies than sexual men and women.

      Half of the asexual women and three-quarters of the asexual men reported masturbation and sexual fantasies.

      Among the asexual people who did have a sexual fantasy, they were notably more likely to report that their fantasies did not involve other people.

      Interestingly, both male and female and both sexual and asexual participants were equally likely to report fantasies about BDSM and fetishes.

      The researchers distinguished a difference between sexual attraction to others and having sexual fantasies.

      "An asexual individual may not experience sexual attraction, but may nonetheless engage in sexual fantasy, perhaps to facilitate physiological sexual arousal and masturbation," the study states.

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