I wondered wether there’s something in being on the autism spectrum and having reduced sexual desire-not come across anything in my reading yet so wondered what people’s experiences are? Oh and asking as a woman too. Thanks
Hi! I personally have always had a low sexual desire. I'm not one for touchy-feely affection or cuddling from anyone (hubby, mom) unless I'm not feeling well, but there are limits with that, too. Unfortunately, my antidepressants make it worse. Hubby can be a cuddle bug and has a normal sex drive, but he understands how psych medication affects libido. The bad/confusing part is I enjoy being with my husband sexually, but I lack the desire to get to that point of intimacy. For me, it's like taking a shower or making a favorite dish. I put it off and put it off, but when I take the shower or have my favorite dish, it really hits the spot.
I think women are "cerebral" and ASD women more so. I think that's why Outlander or a period drama is more exhilerating/sexy for 1 kiss that took 20 episodes than watching something racier that "gets to the point" faster. How can we capture the romance/mental interest w/o being corny or getting into a script. That's the question. I've often told my husband....I think women are "in their brain" and men are "in their body" to get into sex. Ok--last post for a while--this topic is interesting....but don't want to get into trouble lol.
Social research is usually questionnaire based. They get a sample of people and ask them a panel of pre determined questions, often on paper. Much like the studies I referenced earlier in the thread. But the choice of questions and the selection of samples can sometimes be very questionable.
One of the meany reasons I think porn and masturbation are better proxies for libido than actual sex. A lot of women read questions in surveys about their interest in sex and equate that to their interest in sex with the partners currently available or repeating past experiences. Really these questions should be worded to refer to a hypothetical ideal partner.
An actual partner poses difficulties, they may not want the same things as you. Organising the kind of sex you want with an actual partner requires communication where as a fantasy partner wants what you want by default.