erotic asphyxia

Erotic asphyxiation or breath control play is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. This sexual practice is variously called asphyxiophilia, autoerotic asphyxia, hypoxyphilia. The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done by a person to themselves. Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a gasper. The erotic interest in asphyxiation is classified as a paraphilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.