Sexual Violence Victimization and Substance Use among Individuals Identifying on the Asexual Spectrum: Differences between Asexuality, Graysexuality, and Demisexuality

Figures & data

Figure 1. Hypothesized model of asexual spectrum identities, sexual violence victimization, and substance use.

Table 1. Demographic characteristics, sexual violence victimization, and substance use of the participants (N = 8,752).

	n (%)/M (SD)
Demographic characteristics
Age	25.27 (6.97)
Gender
Male	920 (10.5%)
Female	4,330 (49.5%)
Non-binary	3,499 (40.0%)
Intersex	54 (0.6%)
Transgender	1,239 (14.2%)
Asexual spectrum identity
Asexual	5,771 (65.9%)
Graysexual	1,070 (12.2%)
Demisexual	915 (10.5%)
Questioning if asexual/graysexual/demisexual	749 (8.6%)
Other	247 (2.8%)
Aromantic	3,434 (39.3%)
Racial/ethnic minorities	1,091 (12.5%)
Education level
Less than secondary education	301 (3.5%)
Secondary education	1,119 (12.8%)
Tertiary education	7,293 (83.7%)
Employment status
In employment	4,289 (49.2%)
Student	2,619 (30.0%)
Not in employment	1,553 (17.8%)
Other	257 (2.9%)
Country income group
Lower-middle-income/low-income	131 (1.5%)
Upper-middle-income	602 (6.9%)
High-income	8,018 (91.6%)
Sexual violence victimization
Sexual harassment	3,704 (43.3%)
Sexual coercion	2,353 (28.9%)
By deception and false promises	1,187 (14.8%)
By threats of ending the relationship or spreading rumors	726 (9.1%)
By emotional manipulation and persistent pressure for sex	2,005 (24.8%)
By use of influence or authority	396 (5.0%)
Sexual assault	4,959 (57.4%)
Rape attempt	920 (11.0%)
Rape	1,277 (15.8%)
Incapacitation due to being drunk, high, or unconscious	945 (11.7%)
Through use of force or threats of physical harm	618 (7.7%)
Substance use
Alcohol	5,511 (63.1%)
Tobacco	779 (8.9%)
Marijuana	1,500 (17.2%)
Recreational use of prescription drugs	254 (2.9%)
Other recreational drugs (non-injection)	293 (3.4%)
Other recreational drugs (injectable)	13 (0.1%)

Table 2. Demographic characteristics associated with sexual violence victimization.

	Sexual harassment		Sexual coercion		Sexual assault		Rape attempt		Rape
	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI
Age	1.03***	1.03, 1.04	1.05***	1.05, 1.06	1.05***	1.04, 1.06	1.04***	1.03, 1.05	1.06***	1.05, 1.06
Gender
Male	0.59***	0.51, 0.70	0.63***	0.53, 0.76	0.42***	0.36, 0.49	0.63**	0.47, 0.83	0.71**	0.56, 0.90
Female (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Non-binary	1.28***	1.15, 1.42	1.17**	1.04, 1.32	1.06	0.95, 1.17	1.43***	1.21, 1.68	1.36***	1.18, 1.57
Intersex	2.11*	1.14, 3.91	1.65	0.90, 3.03	1.75	0.91, 3.36	2.21*	1.15, 4.23	3.00***	1.63, 5.49
Transgender	1.28**	1.11, 1.47	1.38***	1.18, 1.61	1.28**	1.11, 1.47	1.23	1.00, 1.51	1.29**	1.07, 1.55
Asexual spectrum identity
Asexual (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Graysexual	1.56***	1.36, 1.80	2.00***	1.73, 2.32	1.68***	1.45, 1.95	1.86***	1.53, 2.26	2.20***	1.85, 2.61
Demisexual	1.84***	1.59, 2.14	1.71***	1.46, 2.01	1.62***	1.39, 1.90	1.40**	1.12, 1.76	1.67***	1.37, 2.02
Questioning	1.28**	1.09, 1.51	1.35**	1.12, 1.61	1.26**	1.07, 1.49	1.37*	1.07, 1.76	1.57***	1.26, 1.96
Other	1.51**	1.15, 1.97	1.54**	1.15, 2.07	1.44*	1.09, 1.90	1.33	0.88, 2.01	1.52*	1.06, 2.18
Aromantic	0.74***	0.67, 0.82	0.56***	0.50, 0.62	0.73***	0.66, 0.80	0.66***	0.56, 0.77	0.68***	0.59, 0.78
Racial/ethnic minorities	1.15*	1.00, 1.31	1.16	1.00, 1.36	1.20*	1.04, 1.37	1.38**	1.13, 1.69	0.99	0.82, 1.20
Education level
Less than secondary education	1.02	0.79, 1.31	0.82	0.59, 1.14	0.76*	0.59, 0.98	1.19	0.79, 1.81	0.99	0.66, 1.48
Secondary education	1.39***	1.21, 1.59	1.18*	1.01, 1.38	1.07	0.93, 1.23	1.55***	1.26, 1.90	1.24*	1.02, 1.51
Tertiary education (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Employment status
In employment (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Student	0.82***	0.73, 0.91	0.73***	0.64, 0.83	0.76***	0.68, 0.85	0.80*	0.66, 0.97	0.75**	0.64, 0.90
Not in employment	1.06	0.93, 1.20	1.06	0.92, 1.21	1.02	0.90, 1.16	1.08	0.90, 1.31	1.05	0.89, 1.24
Other	1.32*	1.01, 1.73	1.28	0.96, 1.71	1.12	0.85, 1.48	0.92	0.60, 1.42	1.11	0.78, 1.58
Country income group
Lower-middle-income/low-income	2.07***	1.43, 3.00	1.41	0.91, 2.19	2.19***	1.46, 3.27	1.62	0.92, 2.84	0.85	0.45, 1.62
Upper-middle-income	1.44***	1.21, 1.72	1.13	0.93, 1.39	1.62***	1.34, 1.95	1.66***	1.29, 2.12	1.14	0.89, 1.45
High-income (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

AOR = odds ratio adjusted for all other variables in the model; *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

Table 3. Effects of sexual violence victimization and demographic characteristics on substance use.

	Alcohol		Tobacco		Marijuana		Recreational use of prescription drugs		Other recreational drugs (non-injection)		Other recreational drugs (injectable)
	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI	AOR	95% CI
Sexual violence victimization
Sexual harassment	0.99	0.90, 1.09	1.20	0.98, 1.47	0.96	0.83, 1.11	1.50*	1.06, 2.12	0.98	0.71, 1.36	1.97	0.40, 9.72
Sexual coercion	1.08	0.96, 1.22	1.19	0.96, 1.49	1.40***	1.19, 1.65	1.16	0.80, 1.67	0.85	0.59, 1.22	1.14	0.17, 7.61
Sexual assault	1.42***	1.29, 1.57	1.48***	1.20, 1.84	1.63***	1.40, 1.90	1.74**	1.19, 2.55	1.62**	1.14, 2.30	0.31	0.05, 1.82
Rape attempt	0.71***	0.61, 0.82	1.01	0.80, 1.28	0.80*	0.66, 0.97	1.51*	1.04, 2.17	1.09	0.76, 1.56	3.91	0.67, 22.79
Rape	1.74***	1.51, 2.01	2.90***	2.30, 3.64	2.04***	1.71, 2.44	1.76**	1.20, 2.57	4.13***	2.87, 5.96	2.36	0.33, 17.09
Demographic characteristics
Age	1.02***	1.01, 1.03	1.00	0.98, 1.01	0.99*	0.98, 1.00	0.98	0.96, 1.00	0.98*	0.96, 1.00	0.92	0.81, 1.06
Gender
Male	1.18*	1.02, 1.35	2.65***	2.07, 3.38	1.70***	1.40, 2.07	1.52	0.97, 2.36	2.67***	1.81, 3.94	2.19	0.38, 12.72
Female (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Non-binary	0.90*	0.82, 0.99	1.45***	1.20, 1.76	1.27**	1.11, 1.47	0.98	0.71, 1.36	1.66**	1.23, 2.26	0.99	0.22, 4.41
Intersex	1.09	0.64, 1.86	1.20	0.53, 2.76	1.35	0.70, 2.58	0.36	0.05, 2.72	0.65	0.15, 2.87	0.00	0.00, 0.00
Transgender	0.75***	0.66, 0.85	0.69**	0.54, 0.89	1.01	0.84, 1.21	1.23	0.83, 1.81	0.81	0.55, 1.19	1.83	0.40, 8.28
Asexual spectrum identity
Asexual (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Graysexual	1.41***	1.24, 1.60	1.50**	1.19, 1.88	1.97***	1.66, 2.33	1.30	0.89, 1.91	1.30	0.91, 1.87	0.64	0.07, 5.53
Demisexual	1.30***	1.14, 1.49	1.30*	1.01, 1.68	1.79***	1.49, 2.15	1.08	0.70, 1.66	1.03	0.67, 1.58	2.77	0.67, 11.49
Questioning	1.13	0.97, 1.32	1.55**	1.18, 2.04	1.57***	1.27, 1.95	1.37	0.87, 2.17	1.79**	1.20, 2.68	0.00	0.00, 0.00
Other	1.13	0.88, 1.45	2.09***	1.41, 3.11	1.43*	1.01, 2.02	0.95	0.41, 2.20	1.54	0.78, 3.03	0.00	0.00, 0.00
Aromantic	0.77***	0.70, 0.84	0.79*	0.66, 0.95	0.75***	0.66, 0.86	0.76	0.56, 1.04	0.66**	0.49, 0.88	1.39	0.39, 4.87
Racial/ethnic minorities	0.82**	0.72, 0.93	1.11	0.87, 1.41	1.21*	1.01, 1.44	1.16	0.79, 1.73	1.28	0.89, 1.85	4.07*	1.16, 14.23
Education level
Less than secondary education	0.44***	0.35, 0.57	1.10	0.68, 1.77	0.53**	0.34, 0.82	1.77	0.95, 3.30	1.11	0.53, 2.33	3.42	0.37, 31.42
Secondary education	0.73***	0.64, 0.83	1.29*	1.02, 1.64	0.90	0.74, 1.09	1.23	0.84, 1.81	1.30	0.90, 1.87	2.61	0.60, 11.31
Tertiary education (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Employment status
In employment (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Student	0.77***	0.69, 0.85	0.87	0.70, 1.08	0.69***	0.59, 0.81	0.89	0.62, 1.29	0.60**	0.42, 0.86	0.32	0.06, 1.70
Not in employment	0.67***	0.60, 0.76	1.00	0.80, 1.24	1.02	0.87, 1.21	1.68**	1.20, 2.35	1.06	0.76, 1.48	0.51	0.10, 2.63
Other	0.85	0.66, 1.09	1.05	0.65, 1.69	0.78	0.54, 1.14	0.99	0.43, 2.32	1.04	0.50, 2.18	0.00	0.00, 0.00
Country income group
Lower-middle-income/low-income	0.49***	0.33, 0.72	1.31	0.66, 2.59	0.51	0.25, 1.03	0.67	0.17, 2.75	0.00	0.00, 0.00	0.00	0.00, 0.00
Upper-middle-income	0.84*	0.71, 0.99	1.33	0.99, 1.77	0.88	0.69, 1.12	0.84	0.49, 1.45	1.06	0.66, 1.70	0.00	0.00, 0.00
High-income (reference)	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

AOR = odds ratio adjusted for all other variables in the model; *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.

Table 4. Unstandardized and standardized parameter estimates of the hypothesized mediation model.

	Unstandardized	Standardized
	B (SE)	β
Direct effect
Identifying as graysexual (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization	0.33 (0.03)***	0.13***
Identifying as demisexual (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization	0.28 (0.03)***	0.11***
Identifying as questioning (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization	0.16 (0.04)***	0.06***
Identifying as other (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization	0.21 (0.06)**	0.04**
Identifying as graysexual (versus asexual) → Substance use	0.10 (0.02)***	0.09***
Identifying as demisexual (versus asexual) → Substance use	0.05 (0.02)*	0.05**
Identifying as questioning (versus asexual) → Substance use	0.07 (0.02)**	0.06**
Identifying as other (versus asexual) → Substance use	0.06 (0.04)	0.03
Sexual violence victimization → Substance use	0.13 (0.02)***	0.30***
	Standardized	95% CI
	β	lower, upper
Indirect effect
Identifying as graysexual (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization → Substance use	0.04***	0.03, 0.05
Identifying as demisexual (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization → Substance use	0.03***	0.02, 0.04
Identifying as questioning (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization → Substance use	0.02***	0.01, 0.03
Identifying as other (versus asexual) → Sexual violence victimization → Substance use	0.01**	0.01, 0.02

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.