Asexual or not sure: Findings from a probability sample of undergraduate students

Abstract

Objective

Present study aims to: 1) examine demographic correlates of LGB, asexual, or not sure participants 2) describe the prevalence of diverse sexual behaviors, 3) assess the prevalence of event-level sexual behaviors and 4) examine predictors of sexual pleasure.

Participants

761 non-heterosexual undergraduates at a large, public U.S. university.

Methods

Randomly sampled undergraduate students completed a confidential, cross-sectional online survey.

Results

Of 761 non-heterosexual respondents; 567 identified as LGB, 47 asexual, and 147 not sure. Asexual students, those not sure were less likely to report having engaged in solo and partnered sexual activities and report sexual activities being less pleasurable at most recent sexual event, compared with LGB students. This difference (relative to LGB) became nonsignificant when accounting for reported sexual activities.

Conclusions

Our findings inform how college students define and experience their sexual identities and assist college health professionals in training on sexuality and prevention of risk factors.

Keywords:

• asexuality
• College
• not sure
• pleasure
• sexual behavior

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Indiana University.

Authors’ note

The opinions, findings, and conclusions presented/reported in this article are those of the author(s) and are in no way meant to represent the corporate opinions, views, or policies of the American College Health Association (ACHA). ACHA does not warrant nor assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented in this article/presentation.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.