Difference between revisions of "To scientists"

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*'''It is important to be clear with your terminology.''' There is much variation both within the asexual community and in wider society, in understanding of terms such as sexual attraction, sexual desire, sexual arousal and romantic attraction. Similarly, there is much confusion over the use of words and phrases such as asexuality, celibacy, sexual aversion and temporary loss of libido. Furthermore, people with the same experiences may or may not identify as asexual.
 
*'''It is important to be clear with your terminology.''' There is much variation both within the asexual community and in wider society, in understanding of terms such as sexual attraction, sexual desire, sexual arousal and romantic attraction. Similarly, there is much confusion over the use of words and phrases such as asexuality, celibacy, sexual aversion and temporary loss of libido. Furthermore, people with the same experiences may or may not identify as asexual.
  
Studying asexuality is not only fascinating in itself, it could provide insight into sexuality in general. We hope the few studies which have been published in recent years [link] are the start of a growing interest in the subject. If you have studied sexuality or just have views on the work that has been done in this area, any contributions you would like to make to this Wiki or the AVEN discussion forums [link] are very welcome.
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Studying asexuality is not only fascinating in itself, it could provide insight into sexuality in general. We hope the few [[Research Relating to Asexuality|studies which have been published in recent years]] are the start of a growing interest in the subject. If you have studied sexuality or just have views on the work that has been done in this area, any contributions you would like to make to this Wiki or the [http://www.asexuality.org/discussion/ AVEN discussion forums] are very welcome.

Latest revision as of 18:12, 26 May 2007

Thank you for visiting this website. We want to understand ourselves as asexuals, and we want to be understood by society. We believe that scientists have an invaluable role to play in achieving that understanding and support all types of research, from biological studies of the causes of asexuality to sociological studies of the emergence of asexuality as a sexual orientation.

The history of sexuality research teaches us that it is particularly important in this field to ensure that conclusions are not biased by the mindset of the researcher or the method of selecting the sample for study. We therefore encourage you to consider the following;

We believe that to understand asexuality:

  • It is important to sample broad populations, not just people visiting therapists or participating in asexual community websites for example.
  • It is important to explicitly study the cause-effect relationships between asexuality and conditions which are associated with low sexual desire, such as depression and social anxiety.
  • It is important to recognise the limitations of standard questionnaires; many of the questions being meaningless to asexuals.
  • It is important to be clear with your terminology. There is much variation both within the asexual community and in wider society, in understanding of terms such as sexual attraction, sexual desire, sexual arousal and romantic attraction. Similarly, there is much confusion over the use of words and phrases such as asexuality, celibacy, sexual aversion and temporary loss of libido. Furthermore, people with the same experiences may or may not identify as asexual.

Studying asexuality is not only fascinating in itself, it could provide insight into sexuality in general. We hope the few studies which have been published in recent years are the start of a growing interest in the subject. If you have studied sexuality or just have views on the work that has been done in this area, any contributions you would like to make to this Wiki or the AVEN discussion forums are very welcome.