Background: Many cardiac female patients suffer from sexual dysfunction and do not seek appropriate help. Understating help-seeking intentions and behavior is fundamental to develop interventions targeted to increase using sexual health services in the patients with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TSCM). TSCM is a reversible weakening of the left ventricle that produces symptoms that are similar to acute myocardial infarction (e.g., shortness of breath or chest pain). A variety of psycho-affective triggers and predispositions such as stress, anxiety, depression, phobia, and anhedonia have been recognized as risk factors for TSCM. The aim of the study was to investigate the application of the Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) in explaining female TSCM patient’s behavior in seeking treatment for sexual dysfunction.

Methods: In this longitudinal study, one hundred and sixty-three female patients with TSCM were screened for sexual dysfunction by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI ⩽ 26.55) at eight referral hospitals in Iran (i.e.Tehran, Qazvin, Tabriz and Zahedan). The patients were then asked to complete study measures including attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, self-stigma and perceived barriers at baseline. A measure of using sexual health services was obtained from electronic patient’s records. Hierarchical linear regression and logistic regressions were used to assess how well the variables of the TPB predicted behavioral intention and using sexual health services.

Results: Seventy-eight female patients with TCSM were diagnosed to have sexual dysfunction (mean age 62.19 ± 8.03 years). Attitudes, perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms all predicted charitable giving intentions. Patients with strong behavioral intention (OR = 1.92, 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.73) were more likely to use sexual health services at 18 months of follow-up. Patients with high Self stigma (OR = 0.664, 95 % CI, 0.48 to 0.92) and perceived barriers (OR = 0.93, 95 % CI, 0.89 to 0.98) were less likely to use sexual health services at 18 months of follow-up.

Conclusions: The results suggest that interventions designed to promote help seeking behavior for sexual dysfunction in TSCM patients should focus on reducing barriers and self-stigma and the development of a positive attitude as well the PBC.