Study finds majority of young Australians have tried choking during sex
A 2024 survey revealed that roughly 57% of Australians aged 18-35 reported being choked during sexual activity, prompting concern after a recent teenage death linked to choking.
A recent study of 4,702 Australians aged 18 to 35 found that 57% had been choked during sex at least once and 51% had choked a partner. Participants said the act has become so commonplace that it is viewed as ordinary rather than a fetish, with many learning about it through pornography (61%), films (40%) and friends. During a Radio National discussion, educators and activists linked the trend to a surge in choking scenes in porn, which rose from virtually none to 15% of scenes by 2024.
The conversation was intensified by the death of a 16-year-old girl on Sydney's northern beaches in a suspected choking episode. Experts warned of serious health consequences, from immediate fatality to long-term brain injury, and stressed that consent cannot be reliably given under oxygen deprivation. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek announced plans to prohibit pornographic depictions of strangulation, while youth consent educator Laura Crozier urged partners to prioritize open communication over harmful scripts.
