Types of Sexuality & Attraction
Sexuality has been discussed a lot recently, with the larger acceptance of different types of sexuality beyond heterosexual. What isn’t mentioned is really the wide arrange of sexuality and how it relates to the categories of attraction.
Let’s discuss the actual difference between sexuality and attraction. There are actually six types of attraction, sexual attraction is just one of them. Sexual attraction is the desire to have sex with someone. Plain and simple. Sexuality then defines who you want to have sex with in regards to genders or personality traits. So, if sexual attraction is just one of six, what are the other five types of attraction?
Types of Attraction
In alphabetical order:
- Aesthetic
- The admiration of someone’s appearance, without romantic, sexual, or physical attraction.
- Emotional
- The desire to connect emotionally with someone, based on their heart, mind, or personality.
- Intellectual
- The urge to interact with someone on an intelligence level, such as conversations.
- Physical
- The desire to be physically around others, to be cared for and affectionate. This doesn’t need to be in a romantic or sexual way, for example giving/receiving hugs. This can also be referred to as Sensual Attraction.
- Romantic
- The urge for a romantic connection, even if you don’t crave physical or sexual touch.
- Sexual
- You want to have sex with someone!
Now that we know what types of attraction there are, let’s dive into sexual attraction and the current categorization of sexuality.
Types of Sexuality
In alphabetical order:
- Asexual
- When you don’t feel sexual attraction to anyone, but you might feel romantic or emotional attraction to someone.
- Bicurious
- Being interested in exploring bisexuality, more often when you’ve determined attraction to one gender only.
- Bisexual
- Sexual attraction to more than one gender.
- Demisexual
- When you need an emotional connection in order to experience sexual attraction with someone.
- Fluidity
- The concept that sexual attraction and behavior can change over time, depended on situation and circumstance.
- Heteroflexible
- When you consider yourself heterosexual but experience occasional attraction to someone of the same gender.
- Hetersexual
- Attraction to the opposite gender only.
- Pansexual
- Sexual attratction regardless of gender.
- Sapiosexual
- When intelligence is a turn-on.
- Skoliosexual
- Attraction to non-binary folks.
With all of these mixtures of sexuality and attraction, it’s easy to understand how every person is unique in their desires, sexually and otherwise. When you’re able to understand what you like and want out of relationships with people, it’s easier to pursue it and see if they feel the same way.