A third of people believe asexuality can be “cured” by therapy, a new study that examines misconceptions of the sexual orientation suggests.
Asexual people experience little or no sexual attraction to others and, according to the 2021 Census, there are around 28,000 people who identify as asexual in England and Wales.
New research from Kings College London has examined misconceptions around asexuality and found that many asexual people face ignorance about or intolerance of their orientation.
In a snap-shot study of 400 people, a third – 31 per cent – of respondents said they believed that asexuality could be cured through therapy.
A quarter – 26 per cent – said that asexual people just haven’t met the right person yet, and one in nine – 11 per cent – said they did not believe that asexual people exist.