A new study from Australia says that a large number of young people have experimented with strangulation (a.k.a. choking) during sex. This is despite the fact the practice carries the risk of serious injury or even death.

The study was published last month in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. It found that almost 60% of young Australians (aged 18-35) reported being choked or choking a partner, during sex. 

It surveyed 4,700 young people. 57% said they’d been choked at least once during sex, and 51% said they’d choked a partner. 

It found that it’s typically men who choke their partners, regardless of the gender of their partners. 

49% of male respondents said they’d choked a partner during sex. In fact, 25% said they’d choked their partner during their last sexual encounter. 

64% of women said they’d been choked during sex, compared to 25% of men. 78% of trans and non-binary respodants said they’d been choked. 

How does this compare to the US?

A study of just over 4,000 university students in the US in 2021 that 26.5% of women, 6.6% of men, and 22.3% of transgender and gender non-binary participants reported a partner choking them during their most recent sexual encounter.

In short, sexual strangulation is common but it’s often not talked about. 

Strangulation involves restricting blood flow to the head by placing your hands, arms or legs around someone’s neck. Sadomasochistic enthusiasts may use some form of ligature. The authors of the study say that calling this “choking” perhaps minimizes the potential harm. 

Strangulation results in asphyxiation—cutting off the oxygen supply to the brain. People can pass out and die if they’re strangled for too long. The authors say that online sexual content may be spreading the idea that strangulation is safer than it actually is.

They also question whether consent is always provided before people engage in sexual strangulation. Are people agreeing to it because they genuinely want it, or are they just saying “Yes” to please a partner?

A recent survey from Iceland found that for one in four incidents of sexual strangulation, explicit consent was not given beforehand. 

Gay men more likely to be choked than straight men

Other results from the Australian survey included:

  • One-hand strangulation was the most common form reported (75%), followed by two-handed strangulation (21%). 
  • A third said they first experimented with choking between the ages of 19-21. 
  • Gay and bisexual men were more likely to have ever been choked than straight men.
  • Half of the trans/non-binary respondents said choking played a part in their most recent sexual encounter.

Clearly, sexual strangulation has become more mainstream. Many of those who participated in the study reported experiencing some pleasure from the brief asphyxiation it causes. However, there is little awareness about its dangers. 

“The risks associated with brain injury increase with each subsequent strangulation,” said Study co-author Prof Heather Douglas of the University of Melbourne.

“So it’s a little bit like head injury in that injuries can accumulate.

“Strangulation can lead to stroke. There can also be an incremental reduction in memory.”

Another study from a few months ago conducted MRI scans on the brains of women who say they have often consented to sexual strangulation.

Although only a small-scale study with just 20 participants, it found that regular sexual strangulation was linked to abnormal neural activation patterns in several brain regions. 

Breathless

Serina McDuff, CEO of Respect Victoria, said she had concerns over how rough sex had become normalized. She suggests there’s a grey line between consensual and controlling behaviour.

“I don’t think there’s research that says if you do strangulation in the bedroom, you’re more likely to experience strangulation in domestic violence,” she told The Guardian in the wake of this new Australian research.

“But in some relationships, both are happening, and it’s problematic when the perpetrator who is exerting coercive control is also the one giving the victim and survivor information about the safety of sexual choking.

“Women especially often agree to rough sex, or sex that they don’t want, as a protective behavior to avoid other forms of violence.”

Other advocates in Australia are also concerned about the apparent normalization of sexual strangulation. ‘It’s Time We Talked‘, educates young people on relationships and the impact of porn. Last week, it launched a campaign called Breathless. Its aim is to educate people about the risks involved with sexual strangulation and choking. 

Related*

Discover more

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated