An unsettling study has found that one out of every three individuals hesitates to administer CPR to women due to concerns about touching their breasts. The research also highlighted that 33% of men fear being accused of inappropriate behavior when performing chest compressions.
In a survey conducted by St John Ambulance among 1,000 adults in the UK, it was revealed that some respondents would be hesitant to provide life-saving CPR to a woman in distress.
The charity emphasized that this reluctance, driven by a sexual taboo, could increase the risk of women dying from cardiac arrest. St John Ambulance emphasized that regardless of gender, CPR should be administered without hesitation, stating, “Every body is the same.”
Despite being in 2025, the charity had to reiterate the importance of equal treatment in CPR, as previous studies showed that women are less likely to receive bystander CPR compared to men.
St John Ambulance is advocating for CPR education for everyone, stressing that the technique should be applied equally to both sexes. This call aims to address the disparity in survival chances based on gender biases.
The survey results uncovered further concerns, with a significant number of respondents expressing discomfort with using a defibrillator, especially when it involves placing pads on a woman’s bare chest. The discomfort levels were higher among men, with some feeling uneasy about potentially having to remove a woman’s clothing, including a bra, to use the device.
Highlighting the critical impact of defibrillators, it was noted that using them within the first three minutes of a cardiac arrest can significantly improve survival rates by up to 70%.
Efforts to address these issues are crucial, as revealed by the survey findings indicating reluctance among some individuals to provide CPR to women in public settings. However, the majority agreed that proper training and support could boost their confidence in administering CPR effectively.
It is imperative to change these attitudes and raise awareness to ensure that gender biases do not hinder life-saving efforts. Saving a life should take precedence over any discomfort or misconceptions about physical contact during emergency interventions.