Skip to main content

Article: "The Science of Autism and Orgasm" by LinZ

For adults on the spectrum: I just want to draw your attention to an article which looks at whether orgasms are different for people on the spectrum.

The Science of Autism and Orgasm
by Lindsey Nebeker
and it's on the Naked Brain Inc. Blog

The article talks about an adult who has only recently realised their place on the spectrum. She says that she feels that her growing awareness has led to extreme distractibility so that objects in the room, such as the fan, or textures can make her feel overwhelmed and unable to climax. 

The article looks at two possibilities;
  1. That orgasms on the spectrum are the same as those off the spectrum
  2. That orgasms on the spectrum are different to those off the spectrum
It also highlights challenges to achieving orgasm for people with autism;
  1. Lack of sex education
  2. Difficulty "surrendering" self-control
  3. Environmental factors (non-sensory friendly environments)
  4. Stimulation and sensory issues leading to over or under stimulation
  5. Breathing technique 
I'm not going to spend a lot of time commenting on the article because it's well written and considered. It doesn't pick one side or another but simply looks at the cases for and against. 

It's already balanced.

I will point out however that while orgasms themselves may not be different, it's entirely conceivable that the people involved may experience difficulties if they are on the spectrum due to sensory issues. 

Remember that many people on the spectrum have major sensory issues. Tripping them would be enough to break anyone's concentration.

The article does actually mention this but I figured it was still worth a highlight.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Stimming and what does it feel like?

According to wikipedia , stimming is; "a jargon term for a particular form of stereotypy, a repetitive body movement (often done unconsciously) that self-stimulates one or more senses in a regulated manner. It is shorthand for self-stimulation, and a stereotypy is referred to as stimming under the hypothesis that it has a function related to sensory input." The wikipedia article then goes on to propose some theories about the function of stimming and how it is designed to provide nervous system arousal. The theory being that it helps autistic people "normalize". I'm not sure how much I believe that theory - I helps us relax and it feels good... but normalize?? Not sure. The most commonly cited form of stimming is body rocking. Such is the prevalence of this form of stimming in Hollywood films concerning autism that you could be forgiven for thinking that autistic people stim by rocking most of the time. How far does stimming go? Stimming is much more than just...
204 comments
Read more

Are Aspies Capable of Love?

Although the answer to this question may seem simple, it recurs with alarming regularity on aspie forums everywhere. Often, it is confused with the aspie's ability to find a partner or the famous aspie empathy problems - these are different things altogether which I'll hopefully discuss in follow-up posts. Emotional Behavior in Aspies Aspies are very capable of loving but they often confuse the issue by adopting an altogether too rigid view of love. Despite popular mis-belief, aspies are generally fairly emotional beings. We have intense feelings of happiness and even more intense feelings of sadness. The smallest triggers can produce huge emotional responses in us. While a bad day at work may make an NT grumpy, it could make an aspie feel suicidal. Similarly, when something good happens an aspie may seem to be over-reacting or overly happy. Most aspie adults have long since learned to control excessive displays of happiness but it's very apparent in aspie children...
386 comments
Read more

Aspies and Sexuality

A word of warning: This post may cover adult topics - though really nothing "juicy" so it's probably safe. You may want to read it carefully before allowing minors to look at it.   The Myths   In the last week, prompted by some "off the wall" questions, I have been reading a lot of discussions about autistic people (including "aspies") and sexuality. I am amazed at the opinions of otherwise respectable people in the medical profession. I have found a whole bunch of statements including; All autistic people are gay Most autistic people are asexual (derive no pleasure from sex). Autistic people are sex maniacs Preferences Reading a lot further afield and having discussions with other aspies makes it clear to me that aspies come in all sizes shapes and forms. Their preferences vary just as much as neurotypicals. On Page 246 of "Asperger's Syndrome: Intervening in Schools, Clinics, and Communities" By Linda J. Baker, Lawrence A., they...
157 comments
Read more