A Teen Girl’s Death Is Prompting Calls to Ban Choking in Porn

A 16-year-old Australian girl died after police say her partner sexually strangulated her, leading the government to consider banning pornographic choking scenes under new age-verification rules. Studies find 58% of U.S. college women and roughly half of Australian adults aged 18-35 have been choked during sex, which can cause blood clots, carotid artery tears, vision loss, brain injury and death. Experts note that choking that appears consensual can quickly surpass safe limits, and non-consensual strangulation strongly predicts lethal intimate-partner violence.