Remove the condom and you remove consent: Why the U.S. should adopt Australia's initiative as a guide to criminalize stealthing

Stealthing, or non-consensual condom removal, has become a dark reality for many people, posing risks such as unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and negative mental health effects. Although stealthing has received prior media coverage, it continues to fly under the legal radar in all but one U.S. jurisdiction. With blogs listing their top 10 tips on stealthing, and memes making light of the issue, it is imperative that the U.S. take action to criminalize stealthing. While the rest of the world amends their laws to include stealthing, the U.S. remains one step behind. An Australian study indicated that roughly 30% of 1189 women respondents had been stealthed.An Australian study indicated that roughly 19% of 1063 men who had sex with men surveyed had been stealthed.A United States study found that 12% of women respondents had experienced stealthing.California is the only American state to enact a civil stealthing law.A study found that among 153 participants, 5.2% reported that they knew what stealthing was.

Automated summary

Stealthing, or non-consensual condom removal, poses serious risks and should be criminalized in the U.S. Despite media coverage, the U.S. lags behind other countries in addressing this issue. Studies show the prevalence of stealthing experiences among women and men, highlighting the importance of taking action.