A newly published study in JAMA Network Open highlights emerging forms of sexual violence against women, including non-consensual choking or suffocation during sex, stealthing (non-consensual condom removal), drugging, and technology-facilitated sexual violence. The findings show that these experiences are particularly common among younger women and point to a changing landscape of sexual violence that warrants increased attention from researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals.
The research is based on data from the SAGA Cohort (Áfallasaga kvenna), one of the world's largest studies examining the impact of trauma on women's health. Established in 2018 under the leadership of researchers at the University of Iceland, the cohort provides a unique foundation for understanding how trauma and violence affect women's health across the life course.
The study analyzed responses from 14,358 women who participated in the SAGA Cohort follow-up survey in 2024. Results indicate that younger generations report substantially higher levels of technology-facilitated sexual violence and other coercive sexual acts than older women, underscoring the need to recognize and address evolving forms of sexual harm.
Read the article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2855355
Learn more about the SAGA Cohort: https://afallasaga.is/english/