Life-Threatening Autoerotic Behavior: A Challenge for Sex Educators and Therapists

Autoerotic asphyxia: a case report

Autoerotic asphyxia is the induction of a state of oxygen deficiency to enhance sexual excitement and orgasm. It has been practiced for centuries, and there are many reports of fatalities. The authors report a case of a living participant that shows a number of characteristics different from those of fatalities. The case study also raises doubt about the conventional view that participants have no wish to die. We feel that further case studies of living participants will lead to a greater understanding of the practice and will facilitate treatment.

Autoerotic asphyxia: the development of a paraphilia

The authors studied five adolescent male practitioners of autoerotic asphyxia to determine contributors to its etiology. Extensive histories including detailed sexual histories were obtained from each boy. Their life histories suggested an early history of choking, in combination with physical or sexual abuse, was related to the development of autoerotic asphyxia. Each boy appeared to have paired choking with sexual arousal, and autoerotic asphyxia was a persisting behavior pattern for four of five boys. This sample is the largest study of living practitioners of this behavior and suggests the heretofore unmentioned history of either choking or abuse.