It is 2022. At this point, it seems like society should not have to bear witness to rampant inequities based on sex and gender. And yet, lo and behold — a recent study revealed that men undergoing cardiac arrest are much more likely to receive CPR in public settings than women. 

The hypothesized reasons behind this injustice range from biological differences in presentation of cardiac arrest to assumptions about women’s display of pain and their fragility. And, of course, there is the stigma of perceived sexual harrassment and discomfort caused by societal views of breasts. Keep reading to debunk the four myths surrounding the act of resuscitating a female victim. 

She’s Not Actually Undergoing Cardiac Arrest

According to the American Heart Association, a woman having a heart attack may look differently from a man. Usually, men’s symptoms are pretty straight forward: chest pain, numbness in the left side of the body, losing consciousness, etc. On the other hand, women might exhibit symptoms that look more like acid reflux or the flu, as well as jaw pain, shortness of breath or nausea.  

Because of these differences and the fact that there is generally a lot more awareness about male symptoms than female, women’s cardiac arrest is much more likely to go unnoticed and untreated, which could in turn have dire consequences. There is, of course, the ugly societal stereotype of women overreacting and pretending to struggle more than they are. 

Performing CPR Will Hurt Her

While it is true that proper performance of CPR is very likely to result in severe bruising and even broken ribs, this is not a reason to abstain from resuscitating a woman. Again, societal stereotypes often paint women as weaker and more fragile in comparison to men, so some people are likely to hesitate before vigorously pressing on a female victim’s chest. At the same time, many women have a smaller body composition in comparison to their male counterparts, again contributing to this myth. 

However, it’s important to remember that if a person is going into cardiac arrest, their heart has stopped working. This means that the alternative to not performing CPR as soon as possible might mean that person’s death. Viewed this way, a couple of cracked ribs is a low price to pay for survival. 

Her Breasts Are In The Way

Most first aid and CPR classes use standard male-looking mannequins to practice chest compressions. It is no wonder, then, that when faced with a real-life rescue situation, where the probability of the victim having breasts is roughly 50%, many people would feel a bit lost. To remedy this mishap, certain training agencies are opting for more inclusive selections of practice dummies to prepare students for CPR on people with breasts.

In reality, breasts do not make a difference in CPR compression techniques. The center of the chest is located in the same place on both men and women, and the presence of additional tissue does not make a difference in the approach one takes to resuscitate a person undergoing cardiac arrest. 

My Touch Will Be Seen As Inappropriate

The age of the #MeToo movement has certainly made an impact on the way we interact with each other. We have gotten more thoughtful about the way our actions are perceived, so it is understandable for someone to be wary of touching an unconscious woman in an area that is societally deemed to be sexual. While this is a valid concern, the stakes of not stepping in to help a woman undergoing cardiac arrest are very high. Is heeding your discomfort truly worth potentially witnessing a death?