engleski

Attitude towards asexuality

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Asexuality is a sexual orientation, or lack thereof, when an individual feels no sexual attraction to other people of either sex, with low or absent desire for sexual activity. Even though asexual people usually do not experience the need for physical, they can still have needs for emotional intimacy. Nowadays, asexuality can be considered the fourth sexual orientation, in addition to heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality, with a prevalence of 1% within the population. AIMS OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in awareness of asexuality between different groups of participants within the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants from all the country were included in this research (N=540), and were then distributed in four regions of the country. Students of medicine and psychology were of central interest. Participants were also divided by professional qualification into seven groups. The research was conducted via a questionnaire developed by the authors. The Asexuality questionnaire consisted of 18 questions, with each forming an independent variable to measure. An online survey was conducted, with participant being acquired via social networks and redirected to the survey, which was constructed and presented via the web page www.limesurvey.com. Provided data from the questionnaire was anonymous. RESULTS: The results showed no difference in the attitude towards asexuality based on gender and age, nor between the different groups of participants based on professional qualification, regions of the country, colleges and different sexual orientations (asexual and non-asexual). 42 participants (7.8%) declared themselves as asexual. CONCLUSION: The differences on attitude towards asexuality, between asexual and non-asexual participants, show a lack of education within both groups about asexuality. The majority of both groups assume that asexuality is associated with mental trauma from childhood, and that asexuality represents a synonym for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder/Female Sexual Interest or Arousal Disorder . Surprisingly, 48% of respondents from the non-asexual group consider asexuality as a sexual orientation while only 28% of those who declared themselves as asexual consider asexuality to be an orientation.

asexuality; population; questionnaire; attitude.

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