Madeline Whitcomb
I am a current senior studying Community Health with minors in Human Sexuality, Global Health Promotion and Personal Well Being. I am passionate about all realms of sexual health and currently work in the Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Advocacy as an intern and peer educator. I have also participated in the Peer Health and Wellness Educator’s club/organization for the last four years and enjoy researching topics related to sexual health, substance use and gun safety. I have also been a research assistant for the past two years on a project about recreational marijuana legalization. After I graduate, I will be attending the University of Michigan to pursue a master’s in public health, concentrated in Health Behavior and Health Education.
A Content Analysis of Memes Related to Choking During Sex
Background: Sexual choking is prevalent among young U.S. adults, is frequently enacted between new and established partners, disproportionately affects women, and is consequential to health. Young women often describe learning about choking from social media, including from memes. Thus, it is important to understand what young people are learning about choking in these contexts and its role in influencing sexual behavior.
Objective: To conduct a content analysis of memes related to choking during sex, identifying common themes emerging from the memes.
Methods: A qualitative content analysis was performed on 337 (262 English language, 75 Spanish language) visual and textual memes. Memes were collected from popular social media websites and online searches, and then coded according to emergent themes developed by teams of interdisciplinary and multi-generational researchers.
Results: Nine main themes were identified throughout the content analysis and include: Communication, Instructional/Informational, Gendered Dynamics (e.g., power imbalances), Choking as Connected to Romance, Choking as Dangerous/References to Death or Danger, Choking as Sexy or Not as Sexy as it Seems/References to Desire, Sexualization of Nonsexual Objects/Situations through Choking/Strangulation, Shame and Worry, and Choking/Strangulation and Religious References.
Conclusions: Our analysis of social media memes provides insights into what messages young people may be receiving about sexual choking, including that choking is portrayed as sexy, even while referencing the fact that people (usually women) can die from being choked. Sexual health educators need to be aware of this emerging area of sexual health information and misinformation.
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