Third of Brits afraid to give women CPR, new study finds

St John Ambulance has released the research which also shows 33 per cent of men are concerned they will be accused of "inappropriate" touching when giving chest compressions to a woman in cardiac arrest in public, compared to 13 per cent of women.

To address this issue, the charity has launched a campaign with activist Sharon Gaffka, from Didcot, Chelsea Women’s captain Millie Bright, broadcaster and DJ Ashley James, and social content creator and disability campaigner Lucy Edwards.

Ashley James (Image: Maddie Penfold) They have introduced the CPR Bra, the world’s first educational bra designed to reassure people taking fast action, regardless of gender, is crucial to saving a life.

The CPR Bra (Image: Maddie Penfold) It has the message "It’s OK to Save My Life" on the front, along with a reminder of the steps needed to respond to a cardiac arrest.

Ms Gaffka said: “I think it's really important to have CPR training and have refreshed CPR training because like me, you never know which instance you're going to need it.

Sharon Gaffka (Image: Maddie Penfold) "But I think that there's this perception that CPR is harder on a person with breasts.”

A defibrillator can increase the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest by up to 70 per cent if used within the first three minutes.

However, 38 per cent of people admitted their discomfort increased knowing the defibrillator pads need to be placed on bare skin on the chest.

Nearly half of the men surveyed said they would feel less comfortable using a defibrillator on a woman knowing her clothing, including her bra, might have to be removed, compared to 31 per cent of women.

Footballer Millie Bright said: "I’ve had the experience of being on the pitch when someone suffered a suspected cardiac arrest, and it was terrifying.

Millie Bright (Image: Maddie Penfold) "To learn that as a woman I am more at risk because people are uncomfortable to provide help due to my gender is shocking."

Training can make a significant difference in addressing this gender disparity, the research suggests, with 64 per cent of respondents saying their comfort levels would increase with the right support and training.

Lucy Edwards (Image: Maddie Penfold) Jordan Davison, community experience manager at St John Ambulance, said: "Whilst this latest research flags some concerning issues around people’s comfort levels in performing CPR on women, it isn’t wholly surprising.

"These concerns are frequently raised in our training sessions.

"Our message to people is that it is always better to do something than nothing in these circumstances."