What is 'autosexual' as experts make it clear popular sexuality is not a mental disorder
Experts have sought to clarify what 'autosexuality' really means as false information continues to spread around the increasingly popular sexuality.
In an ever-changing world where we all seem to know far too much about each other, there has been a rise in more niche preferences, as sexuality is more commonly thought of as a spectrum rather than something that is set in stone.
Attitudes towards some of the less common sexualities such as demi-sexuality or hetero-flexibility often stem from a lack of information and understanding, and celebrities identifying as these sexualities will only help to increase the public's comprehension towards them.
However, one thing that the general public seemingly cannot get their heads around is autosexuality, which is defined as a sexual attraction toward oneself rather than other people.
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It has often been linked to narcissistic personality disorder, which makes sense given it was Narcissus who gave that mental health condition its name.
The Ancient Greek figure famously spurned the love interests of others in order to focus on himself, eventually dying as he was too focused on staring at his own reflection in the water, which also saw his name given to the flower which hangs over the water's edge.
Anyway, that's all ancient history now, and people who identify as autosexuals are keen to emphasise that their preferences are not necessarily attuned to that of a narcissist.
While they usually prefer themselves to other people, and naturally might prefer masturbation to sex, autosexuals are still capable of having relationships with another person.
Although this is a relatively newly defined sexual orientation, it's probably existed for far longer and simply wasn't well-researched at that point, as we probably all nobody who loves themself a bit too much.
In fact, Kourtney Kardashian seemingly confirmed that she identified as an autosexual back in 2024, despite being married to American musician Travis Barker since 2022.
In a blog post, she wrote: “Are you autosexual? The short answer is yes, most likely. In fact, we all are, at least a little."
Meanwhile, QueerSexTherapy founder Casey Tanner described autosexuality as 'a trait wherein one is turned on by engaging in their own eroticism'.
“While it may not be true for everyone, we generally feel more sexual and turned on when we feel we ourselves are sexy," they added.
The term autosexual also featured in the most googled sex question of 2024, which emphasises that it is increasingly gaining widespread attention.
So, even though some in the world might consider autosexuality to be unnatural or similar to narcissism, the reality is very different, and perhaps we should just let them be themselves.
Topics: Kourtney Kardashian, Mental Health, Travis Barker, Sex and Relationships, LGBTQ
James Moorhouse