An asexual person lacks sexual interests.
The first thing we are going to do is determine the etymological origin of the term asexual , in order to understand its meaning. In that case, we can say that it is a neologism that was shaped in the 19th century from the sum of several components of Greek and Latin origin:
-The prefix «a-«, which means «without».
-The noun "sexus", which can be translated as "sex".
-The suffix "-alis", which is used to indicate "belonging" or "quality."
Concept of asexual
The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) mentions as the first meaning of the adjective asexual that whose sex cannot be determined, is ambiguous or is non-existent .
We usually talk about asexuality , in this framework, with reference to the individual who lacks sexual interest or who is not attracted to different forms of sexuality . A subject who does not have a sexual inclination is also classified as asexual.
An asexual person does not experience sexual attraction to men or women . In this way, they generally do not have sexual relations, although they may access these practices for various reasons (when they want to have a child or to satisfy another person, for example). The case of the human being who does have sexual desire, but represses it for religious or faith reasons is different (such as a Catholic priest who must respect celibacy ).
Gametes are not involved in asexual reproduction.
Characteristics of these people
Among the general signs that indicate that a person is asexual are some like these:
-He shows no interest in sex or masturbation.
-She gets nervous about the importance, interest and value that other individuals give to sex.
-You need a partner but at all times in that relationship, sex is secondary.
-She is very active in social relationships and cares a lot about her friends.
In addition, another series of interesting aspects in this regard must be highlighted:
-It is considered that in the world there are around 5% of the population that is asexual.
-There are four different types of asexuality: people who feel romantic attraction to others but have no sexual desire; who are not attracted romantically or sexually; individuals who have a certain sexual appetite but do not feel that aforementioned romantic attraction; those who are men or women who feel both romantic attraction and sexual desire.
asexual reproduction
Another meaning of asexual mentioned by the RAE is associated with the type of reproduction that is carried out without the participation of gametes (that is, sexual cells).
In asexual reproduction , a single cell or a body fragment is detached from a living being that is already developed so that a process of mitosis is carried out and thus a new individual is generated, whose genetics will be identical to that of the first specimen.
It can be said that sexual reproduction takes place with the participation of a single parent. An example of this type of reproduction is the fission carried out by certain cellular organisms: several daughter cells emerge from a mother cell, which then also divide to produce more copies.