When you think of being stealthy, you typically think of crime, stalking or maybe being a smooth criminal. Well, the term ‘Stealthing’ does have some similarities to those descriptions, but it is actually a term coined to describe the act of removing a condom during intercourse – without the other partner knowing.
And it is now officially a crime in California.
Legislators sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill on Tuesday adding the act to the state’s civil definition of sexual battery. It makes it illegal to remove the condom without obtaining verbal consent.
It does not affect the criminal code however, it will change the civil code – allowing someone to sue the other for damages.
The bill was pushed because the act of ‘stealthing’ can lead to long lasting emotional issues among victims.
Sadly, we live in a world where there are actually online communities that practice and encourage stealthing. This act can lead to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and increase the risk of unplanned pregnancies.
The bill has support from the Erotic Service Providers Legal Educational Research Project, which said it could allow sex workers to sue clients who remove condoms during otherwise consensual sex.