Auto-erotic Asphyxiation

What is Auto-erotic Asphyxiation?

The practice of auto-erotic asphyxiation involves temporarily cutting off the supply of oxygen to the brain to heighten the effects of orgasm. Also known as breath play or the choking game, it results in a form of giddiness and euphoria — similar to alcohol or drug intoxication — that enhances the sexual experience.

The practice is not as rare as one might think. In fact, it is quite popular among bondage and sado-masochism communities.

Kathryn Ando, the board member of San Francisco’s Center for Sex and Culture, did her doctoral thesis on the topic of breath play. In her study, she surveyed 350 people who used some form of air restriction. Despite the possible dangers, she said, practitioners can be highly motivated in pursuit of a more intense sexual experience. “It can be trust building and still induce fear in partners,” she said. She meant “fear” in a good way.

While most of her 350 subjects practiced breath play with a partner, the physiological mechanism is no different when one masturbates alone. The idea is to use a noose of some kind, a plastic bag, or a gas like propane, to restrict oxygen from reaching the brain. The induced hypoxic state creates a sense of euphoria that can also intensify orgasm. Some also bind their penises with cord to restrict blood flow and prolong an erection.

Some auto-erotic play has roots in the 'choking game,' a blackout game often played by adolescents who strangle themselves looking for a woozy, floaty feeling. As they mature, teens and adults may add a sexual component to the ritual, often in hopes of enhancing the climax.

Is Breath Play dangerous?

The apparatus used in breath play is some form of a noose. Once the individual appreciates that it is getting to be dangerous, they can kick it, or pull on it to release the noose. But sometimes the apparatus is incorrectly designed, the release mechanism fails, or the person loses consciousness before he or she can free themselves.

Although there aren't any up-to-date numbers, there are reports that coroners in just about every county in the United States see at least one case a year. It happens around the world, and cases have been recorded in Turkey, Bulgaria and Canada. Most victims are men.

Police are speculating that auto-erotic asphyxiation, a dangerous form of sex play, may have caused the death of American cult actor David Carradine, whose body was found in a hotel closet in the Thai capital. A rope was tied to the 72-year old actor's neck, wrist and genitals.

The death of the 72-year-old actor, who rose to fame with the 1970s TV series 'Kung Fu,' was immediately compared to the 1997 death of Michael Hutchence, lead singer of the Australian band INXS. Hutchence was found hanging in a Sydney hotel and while his death was ruled a suicide, his girlfriend and mother of his child, Paula Yates, insisted it was auto-erotic asphyxiation.

Given the risk involved, one really has to question whether auto-erotic asphyxiation is worth the effort. Believe me, it's not!

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