Case #19

Healthcare Providers Must Be Aware Of How To Speak With Asexual Patients

I used to go to Dr. X at **** Clinic in Crystal Lake, Illinois for therapy. I'd had several sessions with her before I brought up my asexuality.

She said that she could "give me something for that". I told her I didn't need anything for it. I asked if she thought that being gay, lesbian, or bisexual was "real". She said yes, but not asexuality.

I was very cold after that, not wanting to pursue the topic because I was so upset. That was my last appointment with her.

As it turned out, my birth control WAS inhibiting my libido. When I forgot to refill it for about a month, that libido came back with a vengeance. The feeling was incredibly uncomfortable and upsetting to me.

So even if Dr. X HAD "given me something" for my asexuality, it would have only caused me distress. Asexuality is not a deficit or an illness to be cured and healthcare providers MUST be aware of how they speak to asexual patients.