I Have A Defibrillator. Is It Safe To Have Intercourse?

— -- Question: I have a defibrillator. Is it safe for me to have sexual intercourse? Is there a danger of electric shock for my partner?

Answer: The implantable cardioverter defibrillator is made to be implanted in the body and for the individual to forget about it. The device is like having an emergency room implanted in your chest. It monitors your heart rhythm and if the heart rhythm gets too slow, it will speed it up and if the heart rhythm gets too fast it will slow it down.

Virtually all activities are encouraged, possibly with the exception, early after implantation, of something like golf where you're swinging your arms and could move the lead that's placed in the heart itself.

But aside from that, all activities are fine, sexual intercourse, playing some sports, certainly the daily activities are all encouraged. An individual touching someone who has a shock from the ICD is not at any risk from the electrical shock delivered to the patient who has the implanted device.

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