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By Julie Rausch

Information on how to sustain a healthy sex life can be found in bookstores, on magazines racks and on television talk shows — just about anywhere except in the hospital rooms of patients recovering from heart attacks.

Elaine Steinke, associate professor of nursing and principal investigator for a $103,917 grant from the National Institutes of Health, plans to comare two methods of getting expanded and improved information to couples impacted by heart attacks.

Elaine Steinke, associate professor, nursing, shows a three-time heart attack patient material about resuming intimacy following a heart attack.

This is an important issue considering there are 1,100,00 new or recurrent heart attacks each year in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. Both men and women older than 60 tend to have heart attacks more frequently, although men ages 35 and older also may have heart attacks. Women tend to have heart attacks after menopause when they lose the protective effect of estrogen.

"I was interested in sexuality after a heart attack because it was my theory that heart attack patients were being given information about diet and exercise, but very little information was provided about their intimacy needs," said Steinke.

Steinke’s theory was validated by previous local studies she had done, as well as several national studies.

One of her studies involved a survey of nurses to determine such things as comfort level in providing information and whether or not they provided sex education or counseling to patients.

The majority of nurses said that although they would feel comfortable providing information, most of them didn’t. The ones who did provide information said they mainly advised patients when they could return to sexual activity.

Neglecting to educate patients may leave them with anxiety, fears and misconceptions about resuming sexual activity, Steinke said.

Those concerns might include how a heart attack impacts a partner and how a patient feels about resuming sexual activity. Practical recommendations would include not eating or drinking immediately prior to sexual activity or advising patients to be well rested before romance begins.

Two studies were done with patients. Steinke looked at the importance of and timing for sexual counseling after the heart attack. All patients responded that information about resuming their sex lives was very important. They were divided about whether to get the information in the hospital or after discharge from the hospital.

Steinke said she suspects that some patients were not aware of what education they would need, so they were divided as to when they might want the information.

The NIH study will be a random sample with 112 male and female first-time heart attack patients referred by cardiac rehabilitation staff of Via Christi Regional Medical Center.

All patients will receive information to help them facilitate return to sexual activity. Half the study participants will receive written instructions and videotape to watch at home. The other patients will receive only the written instructions.

The written instructions are the usual ones provided by the medical center, while the videotape will contain more detailed information about resuming sexual activity.

Patients will be surveyed about their experience prior to receiving the information, and just before discharge from the hospital, and then at one, three and five months after the heart attack.

Survey questions will deal with prior knowledge level, anxiety, return to sexual activity, sexual satisfaction and quality of life issues.

The results of this study will be used to develop a larger scale study focused on making sure that patients receive sexual counseling and assisting health care professionals in addressing this quality of life issue.

Steinke said she thinks the written instruction and videotape are more beneficial to patients than only the written instructions.

The videotape likely will show a husband and wife discussing sexuality issues important to couples after a heart attack. It will also show that men, women and various ethnic groups all experience heart attacks.

Steinke will produce the video with the help of WSU’s Media Resources Center.