Experts express concern about surge in sexual asphyxiation among Generation Z

Before you take your lover’s breath away, heed this warning.

New research shows that sexual asphyxiation, also known as sex asphyxia, is on the rise among teens and young adults, raising concerns among experts about the safety of sexually inexperienced Generation Z.

Dr. Debbie Herbenick, professor of public health at Indiana University and author of “Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Today’s Teens and Sexuality,” warned in a recent article: “There is no such thing as zero-risk choking.” way.” statement. “While death from voluntary asphyxiation is rare, it does occur.”

Sexual asphyxiation is a type of kink that often involves a dominant/submissive sexual dynamic, using strangulation to enhance the sexual experience by applying external pressure to the neck that is sufficient to impede healthy breathing and blood flow. Those who enjoy being air-deprived during sex report feeling heightened sexual arousal and more intense orgasms.

However, sadomasochistic role play is not without real-life risks. An estimated 250 to 1,000 Americans die each year after attempting to suffocate during masturbation (masturbation asphyxiation). Meanwhile, unsafe sexual asphyxiation with a partner can result in loss of consciousness, serious injury, brain damage, and in rare cases, accidental death.

“We need to talk to young people about this,” Herbenick said in an interview with SexandPsychology.com. SexandPsychology.com is a website dedicated to prolific sex researcher Justin Lehmiller and his colleagues in the field. Over the past 15 years, asphyxiation has become prevalent.

“Sexual asphyxiation, once extremely rare, is now involved in many young people,” she said, citing research on campus representation of college students. “In contrast, very few adults over the age of 50 have been choked during sex.”

A 2020 survey of more than 4,000 undergraduate students found that nearly a third of women and a quarter of trans and non-binary respondents had recently been choked by a partner during sex. This is in stark contrast to the campus population, which is less than 7% male.

Those numbers flip when accounting for those who choked. About a quarter of male, trans and non-binary participants said they had taken a dominant role in a sexual choking incident with a partner, while only 5-6% of female students had choked a partner.

Findings compiled by Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion suggest that BDSM dynamics are becoming increasingly normalized, urging experts and parents to see that sexually adventurous young people are receiving comprehensive education about safe taboo sex.

“Parents need to be involved in these conversations because the issue of choking is unlikely to be addressed in high school sex education, even though many teens already are or may soon be,” said Herbenick, the center’s director.

Her investigation also uncovered online literature for kinksters promoting “safe” methods of sexual asphyxiation. She found some of the advice questionable.

“Pressing on the sides of the neck where the carotid arteries are located can cause the arteries to tear, which could lead to a stroke days, weeks or even months later. This risk may increase with age or with cardiovascular health problems people,” Herbenick explained. “Over time, some people may experience cumulative brain damage, which is well documented in other forms of strangulation.”

For those who persist in engaging in risky behavior, Herbenick recommends doing it infrequently, with less pressure, and with only one hand on your neck—not your leg, a leash, or a rope.

“Even so, the risks remain, but these are harm reduction strategies that some are exploring.”

At the same time, those who perform erotic asphyxiation are responsible for obtaining clear and complete consent.

“Some people do enjoy being suffocated but expect the pressure to be minimal, and they may feel upset, scared, or hurt if their partner suffocates more than expected,” Herbenick explains. “If people talk about it first, This can be avoided.”