What is demisexuality? If you’re reading this, chances are you have some questions about the term. And that’s okay! Demisexuality is a new word to most people, so it can be hard to wrap your head around it.
To help you understand what demisexuality means and how it might apply to your life, we reached out to a sexologist to answer some of the most common questions she gets about demisexuality.
Demisexuality is a sexual orientation, like being heterosexual or homosexual. It’s not a disorder, nor is it a form of kink or fetish (although some people who identify as demisexual are also kinky). It’s an identity that means that you don’t feel sexual attraction unless you have an emotional connection with someone.
Demisexuality is a sexual identity on the asexual spectrum, meaning it falls under the umbrella of asexuality but describes someone who does not experience sexual attraction unless they form an emotional connection with their partner. It means that you require emotional connectedness in order to feel sexually interested in someone. “A good way to consider [demisexuality] is to remember that not all sexual attraction is physical,” says Moushumi Ghose, MFT, a licensed sex therapist.
More questions? Follow the link below for answers!
Caitlin Oates
Author
Doubling as LAST’s practice manager and intake coordinator, Caitlin is a writer and creative with a passion for sex-positivity, LGBTQIA advocacy, and mental health care.
Caitlin earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Northwestern University, and now flexes those communication muscles by teaching medical students humanism skills, coaching athletes in functional fitness, and learning from and working with LAST to promote, amplify, and normalize the importance of sexual and mental health.