diff --git a/newsfragments/3991.added.md b/newsfragments/3991.added.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a59ecee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/3991.added.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+implemented `AsRef<str>` and `AsRef<[u8]>` for `PyBackedStr`, `AsRef<[u8]>` for `PyBackedBytes`.
diff --git a/src/pybacked.rs b/src/pybacked.rs
index bd29c830..dbb08652 100644
--- a/src/pybacked.rs
+++ b/src/pybacked.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ impl Deref for PyBackedStr {
     }
 }
 
+impl AsRef<str> for PyBackedStr {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &str {
+        self
+    }
+}
+
+impl AsRef<[u8]> for PyBackedStr {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        self.as_bytes()
+    }
+}
+
 impl TryFrom<Bound<'_, PyString>> for PyBackedStr {
     type Error = PyErr;
     fn try_from(py_string: Bound<'_, PyString>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
@@ -82,6 +94,12 @@ impl Deref for PyBackedBytes {
     }
 }
 
+impl AsRef<[u8]> for PyBackedBytes {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        self
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<Bound<'_, PyBytes>> for PyBackedBytes {
     fn from(py_bytes: Bound<'_, PyBytes>) -> Self {
         let b = py_bytes.as_bytes();