Asphyxiophilia is the term for sexual arousal derived from the autoerotic restriction of air flow. This study examined the prevalence and selected correlates of erotic asphyxiophilia from a national sample (N = 917). Survey respondents acknowledging recurrent erotic asphyxiophilia were compared to control counterparts. Criterion measures canvassed a range of developmental and maladjustment indicators. A total of 8.8 of this sample identified choking (restricted oxygen) as the primary focus of a "vast majority" (>80) of their sexual fantasies. This asphyxiophilic cohort was disproportionately represented by people who were less religious (Cohen's d = 0.41), sexually abused (relative risk = 2.44), hypersexual (Cohen's d = 0.80), and exposed to pornography at a younger age (Cohen's d = 0.43). Asphyxiophilia group members showed higher levels of maladjustment on all of the Sexual Addiction Screening Test-Revised subscales and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Short Form subscales. Erotic asphyxiophilia is a consequential condition that has not generated adequate attention in the psychiatric literature.
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