Guardian: The rapid rise and horrifying risks of choking during sex

[RayonSunrise]

The excellent women behind We Can’t Consent to This have been hard at work, raising government and media awareness of the risks of choking during sex and now even the Guardian (who’ve had a real issue over the past 10 years with failing to notice emerging systemic threats to women) have covered it. Some horrifying stats have been uncovered:

• choking is the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40
•choking is more dangerous than water boarding, as it restricts blood flow as well as airflow
•unconsciousness can result in seconds and death in minutes
•Even if loss of consciousness and death are avoided, other effects can take time to manifest afterwards such as a change in voice, difficulty swallowing, incontinence, seizures, problems with memory, decision-making and concentration, depression, anxiety, miscarriage
• In a study, blood samples taken from women who had been recently choked during sex showed elevated levels of S100B, a marker of brain damage

Really worth a read and sharing with young people who are growing up normalised to choking during sex. It‘s a terrible risk:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jul/07/no-safe-way-risks-of-choking-during-sex

I have not read the article but I noted last week that 2 of the 'detective' series I am watching (new to tv, made for oldies like me) featured this sex act in a light hearted way. Now ok, you didn't see it but in this type of program to make it so everyday I was horrified. Yes people do it, enjoy it but it is a dangerous fetish and for it to be discussed on prime time tv? And then this article confirming my fears. I feel so sad and scared for the young of today; such things becoming the norm. Being mocked cos you won't do it; and so another wall falls that is meant to keep you safe. Thank you op and The G this info needs to be out there.

The Guardian?! I’m surprised. Well done WCCT team!

I came across the article online and sent it to my dd. I've talked about it with her before but I thought a reminder wouldn't hurt.

The 2 things that scare me about this fetish are that many women don't realise how dangerous it is and that it's become so normalised that boys and men don't always bother discussing it or asking for consent - they just go ahead and do it.

Thanks for sharing, will be sending to my DD

Thanks ladies!

Royston can you remember what programmes these were? We'll have massive go at them.

We also published a new report which lady out the harm of inaction: 79% of children are now exposed to violent porn and they (now adults) tell us it damaged their relationships, led them into destructive and hyper sexualised behaviours, meant they were subjected to terrible violence and led boys and men to harass them, and not surprisingly led them to avoid relationships altogether.

The latest news is that we'll ban strangulation porn, for the fourth time! Bans haven't worked as state agencies who should crack down on this simply don't want to.

E.g. the CPS decided to relax the law itself in 2019 after strangulation pornography campaigners said it was a beach of their human rights under the EHRC rights to privacy and freedom of expression. That's the same year we found 2 million UK women had been subjected to strangulation assaults in sex.

Utterly fed up of Westminster doing nothing to change this! theotherhalf.uk/we-cant-keep-doing-nothing

It's frightening how normalised it has become. With both sexes assuming it is part of normal sex. It's terrifying what porn is doing.

The ubiquity of porn has normalised fetishes including paedophilia. Men openly displaying their autogynephilia including breast feeding babies, 'rough sex', the sexualisation of children including simulation of sex acts on stage to pre teens. And of course no one will take steps to ban it because men don't want to.

I think you're being unfair on the Guardian in this case. They have covered it before several times, very well. I agree they are crap in other issues ofc... but it's just not accurate to say they've ignored this. They may have covered it less than others, bit I actually think they've covered it a lotm

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/08/sexual-choking-is-now-so-common-that-many-young-people-dont-think-it-even-requires-consent-thats-a-problem&ved=2ahUKEwjfldfOtK2OAxXaWEEAHb2ABOEQFnoECEQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2sjY5ukIfCtq6PMwZl_buf

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/sep/02/i-think-its-natural-why-has-sexual-choking-become-so-prevalent-among-young-people&ved=2ahUKEwiD88_ftK2OAxURQkEAHbHiFC0QFnoECCgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2D7yJKw5vN7YRtEO2jiqd6

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/25/fatal-hateful-rise-of-choking-during-sex&ved=2ahUKEwigotXqtK2OAxUsZkEAHaiVMPMQFnoECEAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3JR_GFnBjhEvQGzDKae6Kc

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/02/risk-of-serious-injury-as-strangling-during-sex-becomes-normalised-among-young-australians&ved=2ahUKEwim8M_2tK2OAxU3REEAHeEVEqIQFnoECEQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3zpvnPi94DQQnNKyjCZJX-

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/27/ban-pornography-depicting-strangulation-review-urges-ministers&ved=2ahUKEwjFqpOGta2OAxXDXEEAHTtfKzgQFnoECEYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0Wolycy2YXgaSopoE8fSWU

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/13/choking-women-me-too-breath-play

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2019/nov/29/the-alarming-rise-of-the-rough-sex-defence&ved=2ahUKEwiC8Ie6ta2OAxW0a0EAHXDzAKI4ChAWegQIMhAB&usg=AOvVaw3H7Ehqs4GApenNYe88Hw-N

Yet another example from the Guardian. They've been onto this issue since 2018, & had Gail Dines to write about it. They have many faults, God knows, but whatever else they may be, they have been willing to criticise the pornification of society for a long time.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2022/jun/08/england-new-strangulation-law-and-why-its-needed-podcast&ved=2ahUKEwjK1uTvta2OAxUTUUEAHYsuKWE4FBAWegQIKBAB&usg=AOvVaw3o0KH_mXiU-iZL_pBrQfZM

Op, aside from this and obvs the trans issue, which other threats to women would you say the Guardian has ignored? I'm not challenging this, I'm just curious. I'd say theory coverage of surrogacy has been poor, and also the potential issues w the Pill (it's annoying when the only people discussing this are NFP zealots)

Not terribly engaged by the strangulation issue or the work of We Can’t Consent to This then, @AliasGrace47.

I certainly am- I'm sorry, I really don't want to derail from this topic. I simply wanted to point out that the Guardian has covered the issue long-term - that's actually how I firat found out about it, in the v disturbing 'I think it's natural' article.

As a Gen Zer, this time bomb has been long term. My friends & I aren't inti hookups but those who are should be able to do them without fear, and a lot of stories of choking have circulated round my uni. The only solution to further problems is strict porn control. In the mean time, there's too many boys who want this, and some girls too..

I've tried to discuss this w my mother, (Gen X) but it's so far from her experience she finds it hard to believe or understand. Some brave new world....☹️

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That’s an effective troll @LondonFox, but as you would know if you’d read the article there is no safe way to practice asphyxiation. Your fake guidelines are the equivalent of using astrology to determine pharmaceutical dosage.