Huffington Magazine Issue 63 | Page 44

M COURTESY OF LUKE BOVARD ASTURBATION DOESN’T make you sexual, says sex expert Lori Brotto. She estimates that half of all asexuals stimulate themselves on a fairly regular basis. “People may ask, ‘How can they be asexual if they masturbate?’ I admit the finding did surprise me, too,” said Brotto, the director of the University of British Columbia’s Sexual Health Laboratory. “When you talk about masturbation, you may think of it as a sexual activity, but actually masturbation is not inherently sexual. [Asexuals cite] boredom, stress reduction, helping Finding the asexual community was a “relief” for 23-yearold graduate student Luke Bovard.