Architect mahesh Atre’s physician was impressed with his speedy recovery after a stroke. He was back in shape within a month and not much had changed except for the equation with his wife, Nisha. She distanced herself physically just to be on the safer side. While Nisha was trying to play safe, Atre was bogged down with the burden of being sick. “They were in a complete mess when I counselled them. More than Atre’s illness, the tension was due to the lack of awareness and communication gap,” says psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh, HOD, mental health, Max Healthcare Hospital, New Delhi.

Mahesh and Nisha are no exception. Studies have shown that almost all heart patients are worried about their future sex life. “Their fears and doubts are often not clarified by physicians and in the absence of proper guidance, both the patient and the spouse rely on their own knowledge and myths to cope with fears of sexual inadequacy, impotence and death during intercourse,” says Dr Vidya Suratkal, consultant cardiologist, Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai.

While the fear factor remains the same, there are differences between the problems faced by men and women heart patients. “Men usually report a reduction in frequency and satisfaction during intercourse after a heart surgery. Sex drive may decrease, leading to failure of erection. There are also chances of premature ejaculation. Women resume sexual activity much later and a significant number never do so,” says Dr Peeyush Jain, HOD, preventive cardiology, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi. Interestingly, almost 40 per cent of men and three out of four women complained of similar frigidity even in the absence of any coronary illness.

... contd.