Several international studies indicate that choking has become a common phenomenon in young people's sex lives.
In Sweden, there are still no studies, but a survey from Kaliber in P1 last year showed that the number of judgments regarding choking violence and choking sex in close or casual relationships increased by 75 percent in 2023 (a total of 86 judgments) from the previous three years, and that the increase continued in 2024.
There is no reason to believe that Sweden would be different from the rest of the world. We believe that this is a trend that has increased and that our young adults and adolescents are engaging in this, says Eva Rudd at the National Board of Forensic Medicine.
Life-threatening conditions
The view of what is called hard sex has changed. Common violent elements that we would assess as assault are seen as part of hard sex, which includes choking, but also punching and verbal abuse, she continues.
The agency has a government assignment to strengthen knowledge about choking violence, including in sexual contexts, and has, among other things, produced a new knowledge overview on the subject. It shows that it is not possible to determine when choking becomes deadly.
We have reached a consensus that if you lose consciousness as a result of choking, you have been put in a life-threatening condition. We do not know how long the boundary is between unconsciousness and death.
It's not just about life and death in the given moment, there's also a risk of long-term impact on the brain, she says.
Young people who have been repeatedly choked may have problems with learning, processing information, and such things that last for the rest of their lives. More research is needed, but there are studies that point to this.
Oxygen disappears
The fact that it is primarily young people who engage in choking sex is particularly serious since their brains are not fully developed, says Rudd further.
Colleague Brita Zilg, also a senior physician at the National Board of Forensic Medicine, warns against relying on "safe words" during sex, i.e., agreed-upon code words with one's partner for when one wants to pause. There is, among other things, an old American study that shows that the body does not necessarily obey the brain when oxygen disappears.
"Safe words" don't work, when you're on the verge of becoming unconscious, you can neither talk nor signal, says Zilg.
Adults must talk more about the dangers of choking and try to reach young people on their level, she believes.
They must be aware of the risks, because they are not. They think it's completely harmless, but deaths occur.
Several international studies show that choking sex is common among young people. A survey study with students at a major American university from 2023 showed that 64 percent of women, 29 percent of men, and 63 percent of trans and non-binary people who had had sex had been choked "in consent" at some point.
In a study from Melbourne University Law School and The University of Queensland, over half of nearly 5,000 young people stated that they use choking during sex. Porn was the primary source of inspiration for choking, followed by films and friends.
According to an Icelandic survey study from the University of Reykjavik from 2023, 70 percent of respondents between 18 and 24 years old had participated in choking sex, while no one over 55 had done so.
