Sexual Harassment And CPR

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that women are less likely to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation from a bystander than men. The study, presented at the American Heart Association conference in Anaheim, CA, looked at over 20,000 cases of people receiving CPR following cardiac arrest.

They found that only 39% of women received CPR when they arrested versus 45% of men. The men were also 23% more likely to survive than the women, likely because they were more likely to get the maneuver done. The researchers speculate that people are too embarrassed to put their hands on a woman's chest to initiate CPR. Even though the proper placement of the hands is on the sternum between the breasts, many people would be hesitant to do that on a stranger, even if they are dying in front of their eyes. Virtually all training videos and mannequins show a male torso being given CPR. There are almost no female torsos shown. If the American Heart Association is too prudish to demonstrate CPR on women, is it any wonder the general public would feel the same?

In this era of rampant reports of sexual harassment, when women seem to be coming out of the woodworks decades after a potential encounter to finger blame on a male perpetrator, who can blame them for the reluctance. The question becomes will you watch a woman die in front of you because you are afraid of a potential legal suit if she lives or will you do the right thing and save a life? I think the answer is pretty obvious.