Apothisexuality
Apothisexuality is a variation of asexuality, in which the individual feels repulsion towards sex.{{Cite web |title='Sin sexo': un documental que recoge testimonios de personas que prefieren no tener relaciones |url=https://valenciaplaza.com/cine-audiovisual-valencia-comunitat-valenciana/sin-sexo-un-documental-que-recoge-testimonios-de-personas-que-prefieren-no-tener-relaciones |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Valencia Plaza |language=es}} Some apothisexual people view sexual acts as disgusting or uncomfortable, however, this is a unique feeling of the individual and should never be confused with a negative stance towards sex.{{Cite web |title=» Apoti |url=https://orientando.org/listas/lista-de-orientacoes/apoti/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |language=pt-BR}}{{Cite thesis |last=Oliveira |first=Elisabete Regina Baptista de |title=Minha vida de ameba: os scripts sexo-normativos e a construção social das assexualidades na internet e na escola |date=2015-03-06 |degree=text |publisher=Universidade de São Paulo |url=http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/48/48134/tde-11052015-102351/ |language=pt-br}}
The apothisexual person, in general, does not care about what other people do in their intimate relationships, as long as it does not concern them.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-13 |title=Five things asexuality does mean and five things it definitely doesn’t |url=https://archive.thetab.com/uk/2022/06/13/five-things-asexuality-does-mean-and-five-things-it-definitely-doesnt-255393 |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=The Tab |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2022-06-30 |title=11 obscure asexuality identities you probably haven’t heard of |url=https://archive.thetab.com/uk/2022/06/30/11-obscure-asexuality-identities-you-probably-havent-heard-of-258125 |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=The Tab |language=en-GB}}
The apothisexual individual is also sometimes known by the asexual community as a sex-repulsive asexual.{{Cite web |date=2015-06-08 |title=Apothisexual |url=https://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/120168-apothisexual/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Asexual Visibility and Education Network |language=en-US}}
The feeling of repulsion towards sexual acts is a unique feeling of the apothisexual person and should never be confused with a negative position towards sex, as in antisexualism.{{Cite journal |last=Steelman |first=Sarah M. |last2=and Hertlein |first2=Katherine M. |date=2016-04-02 |title=Underexplored Identities: Attending to Asexuality in Therapeutic Contexts |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2016.1169014 |journal=Journal of Family Psychotherapy |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=85–98 |doi=10.1080/08975353.2016.1169014 |issn=0897-5353}}
Etymology
The attribution of the prefix apothi, on the asexual spectrum, is credited to Tumblr user autisutehk, whose account has been deactivated.{{Cite web |title=AUREA - All Aromantic Terms |url=https://www.aromanticism.org/en/all-terms |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=AUREA |language=en-US}}
It comes from the Greek word apothisan, which means repulsion.
Flag
File:Apothisexual flag by kenochoric.png
The flag consists of the colors purple, white, red and black, and has a large X in the center which probably means disgust.{{Cite web |title=Conheça Algumas Identidades e Orientações do Espectro Assexual |url=https://www.doistercos.com.br/conheca-algumas-identidades-e-orientacoes-do-espectro-assexual/ |access-date=2025-06-25}}
The meanings of the colors found on the apothisexual flag were not provided, however such colors, with the exception of red, are common to the asexual flag.{{Cite news |date=2020-09-11 |title=Identidades Assexuais #1 |url=https://aroaceiros.com/2020/09/11/identidades-assexuais-1/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605183121/https://aroaceiros.com/2020/09/11/identidades-assexuais-1/ |archive-date=2021-06-05 |access-date=2025-06-25 |work=aroaceiros |language=pt-BR}}
Tumblr user kenochoric, for example, created two apothisexual flags, which were posted on the platform on November 12, 2020.
Differences
The difference between the apothisexual person and the strict asexual person is the repulsion in intimate relationships.{{Cite news |title=Assexualidade: como orientação sexual 'invisível' saiu do armário |url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/vert-cap-57268281 |access-date=2025-06-25 |work=BBC News Brasil |language=pt-BR}}{{Cite web |title=Mitos LGBTIA+: Assexualidade |url=https://www.sbmfc.org.br/noticias/mitos-lgbtia-assexualidade/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=SBMFC}} The apothisexual person has an aversion to engaging in a sexual relationship. However, the apothisexual individual can develop other types of attraction, such as romantic, aesthetic and platonic attraction. Apothisexuals can have any romantic orientation. The apotisexual person may normally engage in romantic relationships, however, without having sex.{{Cite web |title=One moment, please... |url=https://www.asexuals.net/asexual-spectrum/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250222124618/https://www.asexuals.net/asexual-spectrum/ |archive-date=2025-02-22 |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.asexuals.net |language=en}}
Regarding gray asexuality, there is a requirement for low or conditioned sexual attraction.{{Cite web |last=Caló |first=Fábio |date=2020-07-02 |title=Assexualidade: o que é, como identificar e como se respeitar |url=https://inpaonline.com.br/assexualidade/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Psicólogos On-line {{!}} Inpa |language=pt-BR}}
There are also apothisexual individuals who may also be aromantic or demiromantic or also develop a repulsion towards romantic feelings, these being classified as apothiromantic. Apothiromancism is an aromanticism that characterizes the absence of romantic attraction and the repulsion of romantic relationships. People who are apothiromantic may have an aversion, for example, to acts such as kissing or hugging, and these are classified as apothisensory, apothisensual or even touch-repulsive.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-19 |title=Apothiromantic |url=https://lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Apothiromantic |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=LGBTQIA+ Wiki |language=en}} Furthermore, an individual who is apothiromantic may belong to the spectrum of asexuality, either strictly or in the gray area, or be allosexual, a person who feels full sexual attraction. Furthermore, a person who is apothiromantic and apothisexual at the same time, that is, has a repulsion to sexual and romantic acts, is called apothiaroace.{{Cite web |last=Vischi |first=Victória |date=2022-05-02 |title=Veja as principais dúvidas sobre aroace e saiba o que é essa identidade |url=https://www.dicasdemulher.com.br/aroace/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Dicas de Mulher |language=pt-br}}