350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA), which are cardiac arrests that are not witnessed by any medical professional, first responder, or nursing home employee, occur each year, making them one of the most lethal public health problems in the United States. In out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, quick action by bystanders, namely, the administration of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), is critical and can triple the victim’s chances of survival, raising it from approximately 4% to 10%. If bystanders apply and administer a shock with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a device that is located in many businesses and public places, that survival rate can increase to approximately 38%. Even in situations where bystander CPR is performed, this CPR must be performed as efficiently and properly as possible; CPR only provides the brain with 30% of its normal blood flow, and thus, any loss to this already small percentage due to improper CPR has a significant impact on survival rates. Thus, proper CPR training that emphasizes quick action, high-quality compressions, and early defibrillation is key to raising OHCA survival rates.

Women are 29% less likely than men to survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and 27% less likely than men to receive bystander CPR in the first place, when location type, age, and race were controlled for. This different response stems from several reasons, including fear of causing further injury to a woman, belief that women do not need CPR, fear of being accused of inappropriately touching the victim, and a reluctance to unclothe a woman in public, as proper CPR and AED administration requires the patient to have a naked torso. 

Currently, CPR classes require practicing compressions and AEDs on male, flat-chested manikins. Furthermore, there is not adequate representation of non-male individuals in the modules. Every five years the American Heart Association revises its guidelines for its CPR/AED classes, and the next revision will take place in 2025. Our hope is to obtain enough signatures on this petition to convince the AHA to adjust its class requirements to include greater representation of non-male individuals, specifically females. Sign and join the change to reduce the gender gap in CPR/AED!

Feel free to email lifesavehercpr@gmail.com with any inquiries.