Heart Disease - Sexuality And Health Problems: Womens Sexual Health

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Heart disease

Your heart is linked to your sexual organs, both physically and metaphorically. When you have chest pain or a heart attack, it's usually because fatty deposits have narrowed your arteries (a condition called atherosclerosis) and the heart tissue is not receiving enough blood. When atherosclerosis strikes the coronary arteries, it's a good bet that other vessels in your body have met the same fate — including those that serve your genitals. Because the penis needs a rapid influx of blood to achieve an erection, it's easy to see why vascular disease is the leading cause of erectile dysfunction. Atherosclerosis may also cause female arousal difficulties by preventing sufficient amounts of blood from reaching sex organs. Engorgement of the blood vessels of the vagina is needed for adequate lubrication and arousal.

After a heart attack, many people fear that the exertion of sex will bring on another attack. In reality, the cardiovascular demands of sex are relatively mild — about the equivalent of walking briskly up two flights of stairs. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that chances are only one in a million that a man who had previously had a heart attack would have another during or immediately following sex. Those who engage in regular physical activity are at the lowest risk.

Although your doctor will give you specific instructions when you leave the hospital, most people should be ready to resume normal sexual activity within four weeks after a heart attack. If you're recovering from bypass surgery, you may have to wait six weeks before having sex, and you may need to avoid positions that could strain your incision.

Likewise, chronic stable angina should not be a barrier to sex if you're accustomed to doing other things that require the same level of exertion. Some cautions apply, though. You cannot use Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis if you're taking a medication that contains nitrates (such as nitroglycerine); the interaction of these drugs can cause life-threatening drops in blood pressure. People with unstable angina may need to abstain from sexual activity altogether. If you have this condition, consult your doctor before engaging in sex.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007