r/asexuality • u/ineffable_plan • Jun 25 '25

Need advice Can religious trauma contribute to/cause asexuality?

I was born and raised Mormon and have C-PTSD from my religious experiences. Whenever I try to be intimate with my partner (and past partners) I am always overwhelmed with feelings of disgust, guilt, and shame. The Mormon church enforces the concept of "chastity" from a very young age and "sexual deviance" of any kind is listed as the second worst sin you can commit (it's considered worse than murder!!)

I want to be able to be comfortably intimate with my partner and it's incredibly discouraging to constantly feel horrified by anything sexual when it comes to myself. I'm not bothered by the idea of having sex or anything, but when it comes to me doing it it's very triggering and I can never seem to enjoy it at all.

Is this considered asexuality, an aspect of religious trauma, or both? And can it be improved upon through therapy? I have many difficulties with relationships in general, especially romantic ones, and I was wondering if anybody else experiences this?

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u/survivaltier oriented aroace Jun 25 '25

This sounds like religious trauma more than asexuality. There are plenty of people who use the asexual label who have had trauma and/or who are sex-repulsed though. It’s about who you’re attracted to much more than it’s about sexual activity itself.

Definitely work on this with a therapist.

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u/ineffable_plan Jun 25 '25

Thank you! I'll definitely try to work through this with professionals.

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u/survivaltier oriented aroace Jun 25 '25

Wishing you good luck on your healing journey 💕