An aegosexual person might enjoy sexual thoughts, fantasies, or erotic material — but without imagining themselves as an active participant. The attraction exists, yet the desire to engage personally does not. This distinction is crucial, because it highlights how aegosexuality is less about what someone finds arousing and more about how removed they feel from that arousal.
Originally Misclassified
Bogaert’s original framing placed autochorissexualism under the umbrella of paraphilia, one of the sexuality terms used to describe atypical sexual interests. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), some paraphilias can be classified as mental disorders — particularly when they cause harm, distress, or involve non-consenting individuals.
Paraphilic disorders listed by the APA include voyeuristic disorder, sexual sadism disorder, sexual masochism disorder, and pedophilic disorder. Some research has even suggested that certain paraphilic disorders are nearly impossible to “fix,” with incarceration framed as the only effective intervention.
