'Real risk' of dangerous kink as government announces ban as part of porn crackdown

A psychotherapist has outlined the 'real' risks of choking during sex, as the government confirms a crackdown on extreme pornography.

Earlier this week, the British government confirmed a major crackdown on extreme adult content was on the horizon, which included outlawing content depicting strangulation or suffocation during sex.

As part of amendments made to the Crime and Policing Bill, the law will see companies found distributing content depicting strangulation face heavy fines and prosecution.

"Strangulation can cause serious harm. But violent pornography has convinced too many young people that it's normal," Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for victims and tackling violence against women and girls, said in a statement.

The announcement coincides with LADbible's ongoing 'For F**k's Sake' campaign, which aims to initiate an open conversation about pornography.

So what are the dangers associated with non-fatal strangulation – and how will the new measures protect people from being exposed to extreme sexual content?

The amendments follow the introduction of age verification for explicit content (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Speaking exclusively to LADbible about the new laws, sex and relationships psychotherapist Dr Paula Hall outlined the 'real risk' of having extreme adult content so easily accessible.

"I think the problem at the moment [is] that many people are finding this type of pornography when that's not actually what they're looking for it," she explained. "It's become so mainstream that it is just there on the on the kind of home pages of a lot the sites."

Hall explained that sexual choking - also known as erotic asphyxiation - isn't a new phenomenon, but rather something that has been part of BDSM communities for years.

However, the appearance of strangulation in mainstream pornographic videos has led to people performing the act without a full understanding of the very real health dangers.

"Those in the community who have been using erotic asphyxiation know all about the safewords," Paul explained. "They know all about that. That is not a part of the mainstream narrative that's happening now."

"We're seeing more and more of the research saying that, even kind of at the milder end, if [choking is] repeated a lot, it's dangerous," she added.

"People have life limiting injuries from even relatively mild use."

Figures from LADbible's FFS campaign reveal that pornography was the first exposure to sex for one in two people aged 18 to 28 (Getty Stock Images)

What are the dangers of erotic asphyxiation?

According to one piece of research conducted by Bangor University, non-fatal strangulation is the second most common cause of stroke in women under 40.

This is because strangulation restricts critical blood flow and oxygen to the brain. As well as increasing the risk of strokes, prolonged restriction of blood and oxygen to the brain, to the point where a person loses consciousness, can lead to life-changing injuries such as incontinence, changes to vision and facial or limb paralysis.

Adverse effects aren't always immediate, either, with some people experiencing symptoms in the following days and weeks after being choked.

"There’s no safe way to do it," health psychologist Jane Meyrick previously told The Guardian about sexual choking. And yet, choking and strangulation appear to have become increasingly popular in discussions and depictions of mainstream sex.

Figures shared by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) revealed that choking is particularly common amongst the 16-34 age group, with 35 per cent of respondents revealing they'd been choked by a partner during intercourse.

Research also shows that younger generations are more likely to have their views on sex shaped by pornography, with figures from LAD's FFS campaign showing that 60 per cent of people aged 18 to 28 had their expectations of real-life sex shaped by pornography.

Meanwhile, US-based charity DomesticShelters.org also pointed to references to choking in popular TV shows, music lyrics and viral memes, further enforcing the idea that it's a normal part of sexual relationships.

Psychotherapist and porn addiction expert Dr Paula Hall worked with LADbible on the FFS campaign (YouTube/LADbible)

Is choking during sex becoming more popular?

Case studies reported by The Guardian and the BBC certainly suggest heterosexual males strangling their partners during sex is becoming more prevalent, but is this something people are actually into?

Dr Hall argues the rise in choking during sex is occurring because of how easily accessible it is in porn and not because young men are specifically 'into it'.

"I think the risk is some young men who aren't into it are quite possibly replicating it because they think it's normal behaviour. So probably a lot of guys who aren't into it think that girls are into this," she said.

She also believes that 'boys are victims of this as well as girls' because they are often repeating behaviour they had 'absolutely no idea' was problematic.

This is why Dr Hall believes restricting violent pornography is particularly important.

"If it's hard to find, then what it's going to help is people not stumbling across it, who aren't looking for it," she added.