Challenges and struggles of asexual individuals in China: a content and network analysis of Baidu Tieba posts

Given asexuality's invisibility, online communities have a crucial role to play in supporting, sharing experiences, and fostering identity development for asexual individuals. In China, sexual minorities often face conflicts between their identity and societal expectations rooted in family-oriented norms. This study analyses posts from the 'Asexual Tieba' (an online forum) in China to explore the specific challenges and struggles faced by asexual individuals in their everyday lives, as well as the interrelationships between these challenges in online spaces. A total of 1,924 topic posts were analysed, resulting in the identification of 141 codes and the identification of four main themes. The four themes, ranked by prevalence, were: asexual identity (49.1%); values surrounding marriage and parenthood (36.8%); stress and mental health (33.3%); and sexual and romantic patterns (29.0%). Network analysis revealed that the code 'identity confusion' was closely associated with concerns about sexual contact and related problems, while the code 'confirmation of asexual identity' was strongly linked to issues surrounding marriage and societal expectations. These findings highlight the struggles faced by Chinese asexual individuals in reconciling their sexual identity with societal pressures related to marriage and childbearing.