The dangerous trend of removing condoms during sex called 'stealthing'

Safe sex is a priority in a time when people have more means and a higher tendency to have encounters with multiple partners. But there are few risky practices which are not only putting young people at risk of STDs but are also affecting consent and trust between couples.

Not a very long time back, a man in France was convicted for rape after he removed his condom during intercourse without his partner’s knowledge. While the violation of consent was shocking, what’s more worrying is the revelation that this is actually a trend called stealthing.

A new study not only sheds light on the plight of women who have fallen victim to this practice, but also points out sources on the internet which are actually encouraging more men to do it. One observation was that many women who felt violated were not sure how to report it and couldn’t figure out if this counts as rape.

Removing a condom without knowledge of a partner violates conditional consent since a woman consenting to sex with a condom doesn’t necessarily agree to have sex without a condom, and hence qualifies as rape. But men encouraging others and doing so feel they are entitled to remove a condom during sex.

The idea of this entitlement comes from male supremacy where men feel violence is their natural right.