Autoerotic fatality

Autoerotic strangulation (drawing, 1905)

Autoerotic fatalities are deaths caused by unusual and risky solitary sexual practices such as self-bondage and autoerotic asphyxia. However, more exotic forms of autoerotic death also occur. The most common causes of death in autoerotic fatalities are strangulation and postural asphyxia, but autoerotic deaths have also resulted by many other mechanisms, including electrocution, sepsis after bowel perforation, crushing, and accidental self-impalement.

Estimates of autoerotic deaths in the United States are not exactly known.

In some cases autoerotic fatalities are not initially recognized, and are confused with suicide.

With the exception of the books Autoerotic Fatalities by Hazelwood et al. (1983) and Autoerotic Asphyxiation: Forensic, Medical, and Social Aspects by Sheleg et al. (2006) there has been no comprehensive coverage of the problem of autoerotic fatalities.

Further reading

• Robert R. Hazelwood, Park Elliot Dietz, Ann Wolbert Burgess. Autoerotic Fatalities. Lexington, Mass.: LexingtonBooks, 1983.
• Sergey Sheleg, Edwin Ehrlich. Autoerotic Asphyxiation: Forensic, Medical, and Social Aspects. Tucson, AZ: Wheatmark, 2006.

External links

• http://www.corpus-delicti.com/auto.html
• Informational Portal about Autoerotic Asphyxiation Syndrome
• PubMed: Autoerotic fatalities with power hydraulics
• PubMed: Unusual fatal mechanisms in nonasphyxial autoerotic death.
• PubMed: Death from electrocution during autoerotic practice: case report and review of the literature.