Work

“I’m not concerned with being ‘attractive’”: A qualitative study of positive body image in asexual adults in an allonormative society

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Although body image scholars are increasingly centring marginalised communities in their research, individuals who identify as asexual or on the asexual spectrum remain largely invisible in this work. To overturn this, we explored understandings and experiences of positive body image in asexual adults using reflective thematic analysis. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 asexual adults (five woman-identifying, six man-identifying, four identifying as gender diverse or non-binary; aged 20-45 years) from the United Kingdom. Our analyses revealed four themes that illustrate the core characteristics of positive body image in our participants: Appreciating and Respecting the Body; Body Authenticity; Body and Self-Acceptance; and Countering Aesthetic Norms. Our findings suggest that, while some aspects of positive body image in asexual individuals reflect similarities with other communities, the challenges of heteronormativity and allonormativity mean that asexual individuals sometimes rely on unique processes to develop and maintain positive body image. Further research with this marginalised community is necessary to better understand how developing an asexual identity can foster more positive body image, and what this may mean for allonormative societies.

Source: Body Image

DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102084

Authors: Phaedra Longhurst, Fidan Turk, Lindsay Gillikin, Viren Swami

Institutions: Anglia Ruskin University, University of Exeter, University of Wyoming, Perdana University

Language: English

Topic: Eating Disorders and Behaviors

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,250