Asexual and aromantic inclusion in health education
Ameer I. M. T. Maadal, Natalie Amos, Joel R. AndersonIntroduction:
Asexuality and aromanticism describe forms of sexual and relational diversity in which individuals experience little or no sexual or romantic attraction, encompassing a wide range of identities across the asexual and aromantic (ace/aro) spectrums. Despite being legitimate and well-established forms of sexual and relational diversity, asexual and aromantic identities remain largely absent from mental and physical healthcare education. This absence contributes to practitioner unawareness, clinical inaccuracies, and the pathologisation of non-normative experiences, reinforced by allonormative and amatonormative assumptions that frame sexual and romantic attraction as universal and necessary for well-being.
Summary of evidence:
Drawing on the existing qualitative literature, this paper offers a critical synthesis of asexual and aromantic people’s healthcare experiences. It identifies key sites of erasure and misunderstanding within clinical encounters, examines how normative assumptions about sex and romance shape care provision, and outlines the consequences of exclusion for patient trust, disclosure, and well-being. The paper then considers the implications of these findings for healthcare education and professional training.
Implications:
The systematic integration of asexual and aromantic perspectives into healthcare curricula is essential for ethical, patient-centred practice. To support translation into practice, the paper synthesises the reviewed evidence into applied educational guidance and illustrative scenarios relevant to clinical training and professional development.
Conclusion:
By outlining actionable priorities for education, training, and professional development, this paper contributes to efforts to advance equity, inclusion, and recognition of diverse sexual and relational experiences within healthcare practice.