Women are less likely to be given CPR in public than men. St John Ambulance have recently released concerning new research that states 1/3 of Brits are now afraid to give CPR to a woman due to concerns around touching breasts. Also the same proportion, a third of men (33%) say they are worried that they would possibly be accused of ‘inappropriate’ touching when providing chest compressions to a woman in cardiac arrest in public – versus 13% of women.

This is where a defibrillator can make a critical difference. If used within the first three minutes it can increase the chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest by up to 70%. The defibrillator pads need to be placed on bare skin on the chest area and on hearing this information, 38% of people agreed that they would feel discomfort. Nearly half of the male respondents (46%) stated that they may feel even less comfortable when using a defibrillator on a woman, due to the possibility of knowing that they might have to remove some clothing which could involve a bra, versus 31% of females surveyed.

The research also showed that training can make a huge difference in potentially addressing the gender disparity. As 64% of all respondents agreed that their comfort levels would increase if offered the right support and training. During a Milne Safety first aid course we will be focusing on ensuring that the delegates understands how to give vital first aid to a woman in cardiac arrest and address any concerns with doing so. With nearly a quarter (23%) of people surveyed agreeing that they are less likely to give CPR to a woman in public than a man, applying this into our course is a critical move in changing perceptions.

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