Opinion: The damaging trend of sexual choking

Teenagers say the dangerous practice has become common.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 4, 2024 Peggy Orenstein, an author who has long chronicled young people's early experiences with sex, has noticed a sharp uptick in recent years of sexual strangulation among teenagers. "How come boys all want to choke you?" she remembers a high school girl asking. Carolyn Drake for The New York Times "I'm not here to kink-shame," Ms. Orenstein writes. But "the physical, cognitive and psychological impacts of sexual choking are disturbing." → Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. Get it in your inbox ADVERTISEMENT Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this message because you signed up for updates from The New York Times. To stop receiving From The Times, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018