Perspective:

This study suggests that US and Spanish physicians rarely counsel younger AMI patients, especially women, about resuming sexual activity even though the large majority of these patients were sexually active in the year before their event, and felt it was appropriate for physicians to initiate discussion of sexual matters in the context of AMI care. Among the few who received counseling about sexual activity, recommendations were inconsistent and only weakly related to patient characteristics. Physicians could meaningfully narrow the gap between guidelines and practice by adding recommendations for resuming sex to routine counseling about returning to work and exercise. Practical, patient-centered tools are needed to facilitate the patient–physician discussion about sexual concerns. This minor modification in practice could help improve quality of life for younger women and men with AMI.