Brief sexual counseling during cardiac rehabilitation

Advances in the understanding and treatment of myocardial infarction have appeared over the past decade. One intervention technique receiving increasing emphasis is the development of multidisciplinary "rehabilitation teams" whose chief aim is to assist individuals in returning to former levels of medical and psychosocial functioning. Within the team approach, the mental health specialist clearly plays a significant role. Counselors can provide support and reassurance in the midst of the medical crisis and help to minimize stress related to rearrangements in family roles and routines. In this instance, brief sex counseling as part of an ongoing rehabilitation program serves to clarify misconceptions, reduce fears, and facilitate return to sexual activities after infarction. It is important to remember, however, that an accurate physiologic evaluation provides the foundation on which to base counseling efforts. Without adequate medical information, no amount of counseling expertise will succeed. Certainly the final decision to resume sexual behavior remains with the individual couple. The counselor's primary task is to emphasize that the myth of total abstinence is not applicable for most cardiac patients. In reality, it is possible and even highly beneficial for patient and spouse to return to their normal sexual relationship.