Sexual activity significance for male gender self-identity after surviving myocardial infarction

Abstract

Aim. To study the influence of sexual activity for male gender self-identity in patients after surviving myocardial infarction. Methods. Original Clinical Structured Interview, «Gender Differential», «The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale» (HADS), «The Method for Diagnosing the Types of the attitude to an Illness» were used as the research methods. The study included 130 in-patients (mean age 53.5±7.09 years) who were undergoing rehabilitation for survived myocardial infarction in the department of cardiologic rehabilitation of the Municipal clinic №40 of Kurortny administrative district of Saint-Petersburg, Russia. A model of short-term psycho-corrective program for sexual rehabilitation for male patients who survived myocardial infarction was developed. The effectiveness of the program was estimated by a comparison of results in experimental (30 patients) and control (30 patients in whom sexual aspects were not incorporated in rehabilitation) groups. Results. At structured interview, over a half of all subjects (62.2%) highly estimated the importance of sexual relations, considering them as an essential part of life and a delight. The large majority of the questioned patients (76.9%) reported the desire for renewing sexual activity after the disease. Psychosexual characteristics for male patients, who survived myocardial infarction, were: predominance of male identity (75.4%) and particular features of relation to own sexual activity after the disease, manifesting as a decrease of gender self-satisfaction (53.8%). Addition of psycho-correction program of the sexual rehabilitation to the conventional treatment of male patients who survived myocardial infarction contributed to the positive results observed in the experimental group. Conclusion. Rehabilitation of patients after myocardial infarction requires new approaches, including those considering aspects of sexual rehabilitation; classes for better restoring of sexual activity, being added to conventional program of rehabilitation, increased the number of persons with balanced attitude to disease.

Keywords

sexual activity / gender identity / myocardial infarction / rehabilitation

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Winter V.L., Alekseev B.E.