Are you only attracted to people who are already in a relationship? Perhaps you are symbiosexual. On April 8, 2024, associate professor of anthropology and sociology at the University of Seattle, Sally W. Johnston, published an article titled Symbiosexual Attraction: An Integrated Mixed-Methods Study in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. In this study, the scientist highlights individuals who feel an attraction to the energy, multidimensionality, and shared power of those who are in relationships .
#FPExplained: According to a new study, symbiosexuality is a new phenomenon that is increasingly becoming common.
— Firstpost (@firstpost) September 2, 2024
Symbiosexuals are attracted romantically and sexually to a pre-existing couple rather than an individual.
Are you a symbiosexual? https://t.co/2kKkGctPan
A phenomenon that involves all types of people
By diving into the project The Pleasure Study, which includes 65 questions, and conducting her own interviews, Sally W. Johnston was able to gather her first insights. In total, 373 people participated and 145 stated they were attracted to couples. About 24.5% say they feel sometimes or even often attracted to couples, while 51.7% feel this attraction occasionally and 23.8% experience it sporadically. This study also highlighted that symbiosexuality is not limited to a specific group; rather, it involves people of all ages, backgrounds, and social classes.
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A concept filled with taboos
While Sally W. Johnston has managed to shed light on this phenomenon, it still remains largely unexplored and is particularly affected by negative perceptions and discrimination, even within the polyamorous community. Those who have expressed this form of attraction acknowledge having struggled to express or even to identify it. “People who feel this attraction are sometimes referred to as “unicorns”, a term that describes someone ready to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with already established couples. However, this label, while popular, often oversimplifies the complexity of symbiosexual attraction, which involves a deeper attraction to the energy.and the dynamics within a relationship», supports the study. The new goal is to dive deeper into research to broaden the knowledge base on « the concepts of desire and sexual orientation in sexuality studies » and gradually aim to shake off the stigmas that symbiosexuality faces.
