Asexual people used to be left alone, you know. Confirmed bachelor uncles, spinster aunts, everybody had one, the other or both. It was only in the late 20th Century that not having sex became an issue.

As a teen in the 70s, not having a girlfriend, and failure to be desperately seeking one, made me a 'pouf' to my contemporaries and their families. Invitations didn't happen, people used to sing 'Any Old Iron' at me. There was occasional violence, but I'm good at violence, so it wasn't too big of a problem. Family used to push me into the company of young females of varying degrees of attractiveness. Some of them I became fond of, but nothing passionate occurred.

At University, I slept with both men and women, finding the experience equally unpleasant with either. I was besieged by the supportive, who wanted to sort out my difficulties with relationships. I had no difficulties with relationships. I was and am a misanthropist and a grouch, and I don't like sex and I am fine with all of that.

I love my wife dearly. Enough so that when I was younger, I could bring myself to have fairly regular sex with her (not as often as she would have liked), and father a son. As I move further into the sere and yellow, that ability has deserted me and it is causing issues. Why I do not know, at 66, she ought to be well past all that!

By now, of course, asexuality is an 'orientation'. But it would still be preferable to be left alone.