Asexual - A new sex orientation??

I thought 3 orientation was more than enough - straight, gay & swinging both ways!

I stumbled upon an article about this while browsing thru magazines when i was out doing my hair this afternoon and find it rather interesting. They are people who do not experience sexual attraction. Seriously? Some people just haven't any libido in them?? I mean, really?? I understand celibacy or people who are traumatic from being sexually abused during childhood, or people who are medically challenged but i, for one find this Asexuality just too confusing.

Okay, first of all i have trouble understanding the definition. It says that Asexuals are people who do not experience sexual attraction. And at the same time it also states that while some has never or experience very little attraction, many experience the attraction but feel that they do not need to act out that attraction sexually (not the same as a platonic relationship). Do they experience sexual arousal you ask? The answer is YES, some of them do. So what do they do when they are sexually aroused?? Since they claim that each Asexual person experiences things like relationships, attraction, and arousal somewhat differently, and that they feel that they do not need to act out that attraction sexually, i thought maybe they paint or bake to fulfill the urges. :p However, according to this article i read further online, some of them masturbate occasionally. But they just don't see the need to get a partner for the urges. (Umm, isn't masturbating is an act to achieve sexual gratification?) It's pretty sexual if you ask me. Therefore i don't see any difference in the way they manage the the arousal because that's what some of the non-asexuals do too - when they haven't any partner or have no desire to perform sex with their partner etc.

So what is it exactly then? Are they saying that Asexual people are that of those who do not see themselves as having to engage in sex with another individual? Or that those who simply find sexual behaviour unappealing? If that's the case then, i THINK i get it.

Secondly, as much as these are group of people who does not appeal to sexual behaviour in their daily lives, my opinion is that it is more of a condition (or more like a dysfunction) instead of a sex orientation whereby the Asexuals prefer doing something else rather than having sex, given that Asexual people who experience attraction will often be attracted to a particular gender, and will identify as gay, bi, or straight. The article says so. Maybe they basically don't feel like having sex more often than they do as compared to most SEXUAL people or for a much longer period of time. But despite the duration, a similar situation nonetheless. So why is there another category or orientation altogether? Perhaps i need to be further enlightened.

There's actually a Web resource striving to create open and honest discussion about asexuality among asexual and sexual people alike called AVEN - Asexual Visibility & Education Network. And you can read more about Asexual people here.

[I imagine myself saying something like this the next time i'm not in the mood, "I feel rather asexual at the moment.." but of course this will be considered utterly incorrect by the proclaimed Asexuals :)]

And we thought asexual is only associated to the reproduction of a single-celled micro organisms like the amoeba. Hahh! (Science subject form 1 dulu.. ingat tak??) Anyhoo, here's a sneak peak at my new do.. hehehe..