CPR fears

Women suffering heart attacks are less likely to receive CPR from members of the public over fears they could be charged with sexual assault, British research suggests. In the age of the MeToo movement, researchers from the British Heart Foundation asked dozens of people — many trained in first aid — why they might be unwilling to give life-saving heart massage to females. Several themes emerged, including fears that they would be accused of inappropriate touching or assault, or concerns that women were more likely to overdramatise, or fake an incident. They was also worried that breasts made CPR more challenging. Previous research has shown that 45 per cent of men who suffer heart attacks in public receive CPR, compared to 39 per cent of women. Although the chance of surviving a heart attack is less than 12 per cent, heart massage can triple the odds.