Attitudes and Performance of Cardiologists Toward Sexual Issues in Cardiovascular Patients

INTRODUCTION The aim of the present study was to evaluate the attitudes and performance of cardiologists regarding sexual issues in patients with cardiovascular diseases. METHODS A nationwide survey was conducted in a sample of cardiologists, representative of Iranian cardiologists, in 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Appropriate questionnaires were developed and used to ask participants about their attitudes, performance, and barriers regarding discussing sexual issues with patients with cardiovascular disease. RESULTS The study population consisted of 202 cardiologists (138 men and 63 women) with a mean age of 44.25 years (SD = 8.45). Overall, 93.15% of cardiologists agreed with the importance of discussing sexual issues with their patients with cardiovascular diseases. Almost 76.7% of cardiologists agreed they had a responsibility to deal with patients' sexual problems, and 79.9% of them were aware of the association of cardiovascular disease with sexual problems of cardiac patients, but only 33% of them were confident in their knowledge and skills in this regard. Only 10.6% of cardiologists reported they frequently or always assessed sexual problems with their patients, but 51.50% of them stated they were responding to patients' questions about sexual problems. There was a significant association between performance and responsibility. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate a gap between cardiologist's attitudes and their actual performance and that their professional responsibility to address patients' sexual issues is a significant parameter for better performance.