“Stealthing,” a phenomenon most people have not yet heard of, is now illegal in the state of California.
Stealthing is a slang term for the act of removing a condom during sex without the consent of the partner. It’s illegal in many places, and is a form of sexual assault.
It falls into an ambiguous category that survivors often have a hard time naming. Although stealthing feels like a violation of bodily autonomy, many who experience it are often hesitant to name it as sexual assault.