Sex After a Heart Attack: New Guidelines Released

For the first time, the American Heart Association has released guidelines for patients looking to resume sex after a heart attack. Until now, there was little advice given to patients. A recent study shows less than 50 percent of heart attack survivors received instructions about resuming sexual activity.

The new guidelines

The guidelines stress how important it is for a doctor to discuss sexual health before the patient leaves the hospital.

“These are important recommendations that acknowledge the hesitancy of couples to resume their sexual activity, even though the actual risk of worsening with sexual activity is extremely low,” Dr. Madeleine Castellanos tells CNN.

The guidelines include:

Sex isn’t as risky as you fear. It’s unlikely that sex will trigger another heart attack. AHA says patients should think of sex like other physical activity. If you feel okay during daily exercise, you should be fine having sex.

Women may face sexual challenges too. The invention of erectile dysfunction drugs has made it easier for men to talk about their sexual problems, but it’s still tough for women. After a heart attack, women are likely to experience sexual challenges and shouldn’t be afraid to talk about them.

“I appreciate that the AHA was careful to point out that women’s sexuality can often get marginalized, and that their sexual complaints regarding lubrication and excitation should be seen as a serious indicator of possible cardiovascular disease, just as it is in men with ED,” says Castellanos.

Talk it through. Patients and doctors need to talk about sex without hesitation or embarrassment.

“I hope that all health professionals will recognize the importance of sexual counseling and appreciate the importance that it has for people’s quality of life,” says Castellanos.