Frequency, Method, Intensity, and Health Sequelae of Sexual Choking Among U.S. Undergraduate and Graduate Students
About 40 in 100 students surveyed had been choked during sex. More frequent or intense choking and limb or ligature use were linked with more physical symptoms, but the survey cannot measure every injury.
Orgasmaphoria editorial perspective
About this source
A common behavior is not automatically a safe one. The association between more exposure and more physical responses supports clear harm warnings, not technique advice.
Why it matters: This source demonstrates that sexual wellbeing can involve physical, emotional, social, and relationship factors at the same time. It can help readers ask clearer questions without turning general evidence into a diagnosis.
This source is cited in:
- Choking · Kink Catalog
Purpose and scope
Measure sexual choking frequency, methods, intensity, and immediate physical responses among university students.
4,254 randomly sampled undergraduate and graduate students at one large Midwestern U.S. university in 2021.
Findings or central themes
About 40 out of every 100 surveyed students reported having been choked during sex. Greater frequency, intensity, and use of a limb or ligature went with more reported physical responses.
Strengths
Large campus-representative sample and detailed questions about methods, frequency, intensity, and physical responses.
Limitations
One university, cross-sectional self-report, and immediate responses cannot determine every injury or long-term outcome.
Do not use this source to claim: A safe pressure threshold, instructions for choking, causal proof, or estimates for all adults
Citation and access
Debby Herbenick, Tsung-chieh Fu, Callie Patterson Perry, Lucia Guerra-Reyes, Heather Eastman-Mueller, Dubravka Svetina Valdivia, Jennifer M. H. Dodge, John Feiner, Keisuke Kawata (2022). Frequency, Method, Intensity, and Health Sequelae of Sexual Choking Among U.S. Undergraduate and Graduate Students. Archives of Sexual Behavior DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02347-y
Open access
External sources may change, move, require payment, or have different privacy practices. This library record is educational context, not medical, legal, or emergency advice.
