Study finds high rates of choking, drugging and digital abuse
Saturday 17th October 2026 on 22:30 in
Iceland
A new study has found that non-consensual airway constriction during sex, suspected drugging and digital sexual abuse are strikingly common among younger women in Iceland, mbl.is reports.
The researchers said the prevalence of these forms of abuse, particularly among young women, was a serious concern. They also cited recent research indicating that airway constriction during sex can have severe health consequences.
The findings suggest that the forms of sexual violence experienced by women may be changing. Women aged 23 to 34 were three times as likely as women in older age groups to report non-consensual airway constriction: 15% compared with 5%.
Overall, 7% of women said they had been drugged. Younger women were much more likely to report this experience: more than 20% suspected they had been drugged, and 10% said their suspicion had been confirmed.
Digital sexual abuse was also reported three to five times more often by younger women than by older women. Examples included unwanted sexual images and messages, and the sharing of sexual images without consent.
The study drew on responses from 14,358 women who took part in a 2024 follow-up to the Women’s Trauma History study. Participants answered detailed questions about their experiences of sexual violence. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
The Women’s Trauma History project is run by researchers at the University of Iceland’s Centre of Public Health Sciences. It aims to examine women’s health following trauma, and its participants reflect Icelandic women well in terms of background factors.
Last summer, organisations and institutions supporting victims of violence launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of the risks of choking during sex. Representatives said the practice had increased significantly and attributed the trend directly to unrestricted access to pornography and current trends in the pornography industry.
The article notes that Iceland ranks first globally for gender equality, despite the study’s findings.