Cardiovascular Bias: Fear Of Chest Compressions Can Withhold People From Giving CPR To Women In Public

While healthcare providers are trained well to offer gender-neutral intervention to patients, the same cannot be said for outsiders who might stop due to social inhibitions

Being a woman can sometimes be a disadvantage when it comes to heart health. The statement might sound provocative but studies show how the fear of touching a woman's chest can prevent bystanders from giving a life-saving resuscitation to a woman who might be in cardiac arrest. While healthcare providers are trained well to offer gender-neutral intervention to patients, the same cannot be said for outsiders who might stop due to social inhibitions. Interestingly, a virtual reality study also shows that even female avatars are also less likely to receive effective CPR by bystanders in a virtual environment.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition of arrhythmia that might cause the heart to stop beating. If the blood flow is not restored, the person can die within minutes. CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is an emergency procedure that is exercised to revive the heart instantly. The procedure involves the rescuer performing chest compressions on the affected person. A study has shown that performing hard and fast compressions on a woman's chest are perceived to be a daunting task for people outside the medical fraternity.

What stops people from giving CPR to women in public

A study funded by the Heart Association has shown around 45 percent of men who suffered cardiac arrest in public received CRP while for women the percentage was 39 per cent. The study also found that men were 23 per cent more likely to survive. As per some experts, the fear has no actual standing as the technique is performed on the centre of the chest and not on the breasts. In cases like these, social conditioning can overpower the need for swift action when there is a life-and-death situation. The following are some reasons behind the hesitancy.

1. The fear of touching a woman inappropriately or exposure
2. Fear of later being accused of sexual assault
3. Fear of causing physical damage to the body
4. Worry about removing a woman's clothing to get better access to her chest
5. A misconception that CPR is performed on the breast.

Gender bias in cardiovascular health

For a very long time, heart disease is considered to be a man's problem. Partly, the reason could be more medical literature from the male perspective, lack of awareness of the symptomatic variations among the genders and partly it could come from a social bias that women exaggerate symptoms. As per medical science, women sometimes don't exhibit typical heart attack symptoms like pinching pain in the chest. They might show symptoms that might not fit the known category like unusual fatigue, sleeplessness, indigestion, anxiety and weakened arms. Also after menopause, with lowering levels of estrogen, women suddenly lose the extra shield against cardiovascular problems and metabolic conditions like diabetes can make them more vulnerable than others.

Studies have also highlighted a medical bias that women are more likely to receive misdiagnosis for conditions of the heart. Due to their unusual symptoms, they are likely to receive the wrong treatments. They are less likely to be administered specific heart scans like ECG and even when diagnosed with a heart condition, they are likely to receive less robust treatments.