A practice pornography is quite commonly gilding (although the women there usually may not always be actually choked, but weaker chokeholds or just appearance of that grabbing around the throat and not applying too much pressure). It's important the person not actually be strangled because that then can result in a mild hoarseness or loss of voice, brain damage, and fatalities. But, I'm not a supporter of that practice. From Wikipedia concerning the practice of erotic asphyxiation:
"Erotic asphyxiation, asphyxiophilia, breath control play or scarfing is the sexual practice of partial asphyxiation by strangulation or suffocation of one person by another during sexual intercourse. The decrease of oxygen to the brain is said to heighten sexual pleasure. It can be dangerous and result in brain damage through loss of oxygenation to the brain, or in death through sudden cardiac arrest. It has also been speculated that in some cases erotic asphyxiation may have triggered the little-known phenomenon of carotid sinus reflex death. Most practitioners, however, have carried out this consensual practice with no problems. Because of the safety issues, those considering this sort of sexual activity are advised to be fully aware of the medical issues and risks involved before they choose to participate." More about some risks involved (trachea, larynx damage, etc):
http://www.holisticwisdom.com/breath-play.htm
"Life threatening eroticizing behavior, asphyxiophilia (sexual asphyxia) is practiced in women, as in men, in order to heighten sexual excitement and to achieve orgasm, which is in some women accompanied by expulsions of fluid (ejaculation) from the urethra. ...." (Sexual asphyxiophilia (Koczwarism) in women and the biological phenomenon of female ejaculation.Med Hypotheses. 1994 May;42(5):318-22. Zaviacic M).
"The author discusses the definition, history, anthropological data and sexual differences of a deviant sexual activity, asphyxiophilia (Kocwarism), the objective of which is stimulation or enhancement of sexual excitation or induction of orgasm by induced hypoxia. The author draws attention to the basic features which provide evidence of this life threatening and so far inadequately diagnosed sexual practice in both sexes, in particular in women. ....." [Sexual asphyxiophilia (Koczwarism)]. Cesk Psychiatr. 1993 Aug;89(4):200-8. [Slovakian]. Zaviacic M).
Related is autoerotic asphyxiation (basically solo), which deaths therefrom are more common in males based on medical literature searches and they result from things like hangings, plastic bags, face masks, thoracic compression, water submersion, ligature strangulation (with cords, ropes, etc), hypothermia, chemical inhalations and intoxications like: butane, nitrous oxide, dichlorodifluoromethane, isobutyl nitrite, chloroform, cocaine, 1-1-1-trichloroethane compounds; etc.