{"id":139996,"date":"2024-01-09T00:04:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T05:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=139996"},"modified":"2024-01-07T21:43:02","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T02:43:02","slug":"medical-journal-publishes-paper-on-greysexuality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/medical-journal-publishes-paper-on-greysexuality\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical journal publishes paper on \u2018greysexuality\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Term \u2018intentionally vague,\u2019 one website explains<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A short medical journal paper recently covered a lesser-known sexuality – \u201cgreysexuality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The term refers to people who \u201c[experience] sexual attraction rarely or under specific circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is part of \u201casexuality,\u201d the scholars wrote<\/a> in the Canadian Medical Association Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsexuality is an umbrella term that includes demisexuality (only experiencing sexual attraction after emotional bonds form) and greysexuality,\u201d the authors wrote. \u201cAsexual people may engage in sex and experience romantic attraction,” Stella Schneckenburger, Michelle Tam, and Lori Ross wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n

None of the three researchers responded to two emailed inquiries sent in the past several weeks that asked what the benefit of using the new terms is and how they hoped this information would be used.<\/p>\n

WebMed says<\/a> the term is \u201chard to define\u201d and \u201cintentionally vague\u201d so as \u201cto accommodate the people who fall somewhere between asexual and sexual.\u201d<\/p>\n

An ethicist told The College Fix<\/em> that new \u201clabels\u201d are not needed for every sexual identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch of this seems driven by a belief that having a label validates one’s sexual preferences,\u201d Nathanael Blake with the Ethics and Public Policy Center said in his email. \u201c[W]e do not need to invent labels for every newly-parsed sexual identity, and the identification of new subcategories has become ridiculous, as illustrated by this journal article.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake said that these newly founded sexual preferences (or lack thereof) may actually be a defense response to the over-emphasis of sexuality in modern culture. \u201c[I]t should not surprise us that young women in particular seem eager to invent sexual identities that justify backing away from our toxic sexual culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> SatanCon to feature Minnesota State University ‘sexuality studies’ professor<\/a><\/p>\n

He said creating new \u201csexual identities\u201d advances the idea that sexuality is the basis for identity. Terms like \u201cgreysexuality\u201d \u201conly reinforces the fundamental assumption of that culture, which is that our sexual desires define us,\u201d Blake said.<\/p>\n

The authors of the paper wrote that \u201casexual\u201d individuals experience \u201cminority stress and stigma\u201d and \u201chave a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression and other mood disorders than people of other sexualities.\u201d<\/p>\n

They do not comment on whether the mental health conditions might be a cause of the low sexual interest, instead of the other way around.<\/p>\n

The paper cited<\/a> for the claim of higher rates of mental health problems also shows different, but not large, responses to a question about \u201csuicidality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur finding of potentially increased suicidality among asexual individuals is novel and interesting,\u201d the 2013 paper stated. The small research sample (just 44 individuals who identify as asexual) had similar rates of suicidality as non-heterosexual and heterosexual participants.<\/p>\n

With 89 percent of asexual respondents saying they thought of killing themselves \u201cnot at all\u201d or only \u201cslightly.\u201d In comparison, 92 percent of non-heterosexual participants picked either answer.<\/p>\n

The authors of the greysexuality paper urged healthcare providers to be \u201cinclusive\u201d with their language.<\/p>\n

\u201cProviders can use inclusive, affirming language\u201d the scholars wrote.<\/p>\n

They can also \u201cconnect patients to asexual communities; ensure approaches are asexual-specific rather than generalized to the entire LGBTQIA2S+ community\u201d and \u201cinclude asexual-friendly options on forms and questionnaires; and educate themselves on asexuality.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> Barnard College launches movies contest to ‘celebrate’ abortion<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Andrii Lysenko\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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