Sexual concerns and educational needs after an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Background: Patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) describe anxiety, fears, and other psychosocial issues, although sexual concerns are not well understood.

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the experiences of patients and partners with return to sexual activity post-ICD implantation.

Participants: Subjects were 12 patients with an ICD (10 men, 2 women) and 4 partners (1 man, 3 women).