Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Località Coppito, Italy.
Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, L'Aquila, Italy.
Arch Sex Behav. 2022 May;51(4):2091-2115. doi: 10.1007/s10508-021-02177-4. Epub 2021 Nov 15.
Asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction to any gender. There is some evidence to suggest that many self-identified asexuals have a formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder which is characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, as well as by restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors. Additionally, the literature shows that asexuality and lack of sexual attraction or low sexual interest is overrepresented in people with autism spectrum disorder compared with neurotypical samples. Nevertheless, no studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between autism and asexuality in depth. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine whether asexuality and autism spectrum disorder are connected. We conclude that asexuality and autism share various aspects, such as a possible role of prenatal factors, reference to romantic dimensions of sexual attraction and sexual orientation, and non-partner-oriented sexual desire, but future research should explore and clarify this link.
无性恋是指对任何性别都缺乏性吸引力。有证据表明，许多自认为是无性恋者被正式诊断为自闭症谱系障碍，其特征是社交互动和沟通方面的缺陷，以及兴趣和行为受限且重复。此外，文献表明，与神经典型样本相比，自闭症谱系障碍患者中无性恋和缺乏性吸引力或低性兴趣的情况更为常见。然而，目前还没有研究深入调查自闭症与无性恋之间的关系。我们对文献进行了系统回顾，以研究无性恋和自闭症谱系障碍之间是否存在关联。我们的结论是，无性恋和自闭症谱系障碍在多个方面存在关联，例如可能存在产前因素的作用、提及性吸引力和性取向的浪漫维度，以及非伴侣导向的性欲望，但未来的研究应该探索和阐明这种联系。
