Public Policy

Eleventh Edition of The Evidence: Why Don’t CPR Dummies Have Breasts? 

January 8, 2025 1831

In this month’s issue of The Evidence newsletter, Josephine Lethbridge examines the overlooked gender bias in CPR training equipment. 

While attending mandatory Basic Life Support training, healthcare assistant Jess Noulton noticed something troubling: CPR dummies, commonly known as “Annie,” lack female anatomical features despite being modelled after a woman. 

Upon hearing the instructor use female pronouns to describe the manikin’s chest, Noulton felt compelled to ask, “Where are her breasts? If we’re calling her a she, why doesn’t she present as female?” 

She learned that the first CPR dummy, designed using the death mask of a young woman believed to have drowned in Paris, was called Resusci Annie. And from that point onwards, the name stuck – even though most of the dolls available today resemble a slim, white, adult man.  

A new study found that 95 percent of CPR manikins available for purchase are flat-chested; of the 20 dummies examined, only one had breasts, and only one other model had a breast overlay. 

This absence is not merely a design oversight. Rather, it has significant implications for real-world medical outcomes. Research indicates that women are less likely to receive CPR from bystanders and have markedly lower survival rates in cardiac arrest situations. This disparity is partly attributed to the lack of training on female bodies, leading to improper technique when performing CPR on women.  

Researcher Simone McCarthy explains how financial pressures have contributed to this inequality, as “corporations have a primary objective to maximize profits and to often act in the interests of the company.” Better policy design, argues McCarthy, is vital in getting to grips with the issue. 

But what steps can we take to help tackle these deep-rooted disparities in our social and economic systems? How can we advocate for higher quality emergency care for women? 

Read this month’s full newsletter to learn how we can address gender biases in medical practice and CPR training in our communities, workplaces, and in policy. An archive of past issues can be accessed through Social Science Space. 

Joe Sweeney is a corporate communications at Sage. Prior to working for Sage he earned a master’s degree in English literature, with a focus on photography, architecture, and fiction writing from 1900—present.

View all posts by Joe Sweeney

Related Articles

Yes, Cities Can Be Sexist 
Bookshelf
April 1, 2025

Yes, Cities Can Be Sexist 

Read Now
Jens Ludwig on American Gun Violence
Social Science Bites
April 1, 2025

Jens Ludwig on American Gun Violence

Read Now
Covid-19 and the Crisis of Legitimacy
News
March 30, 2025

Covid-19 and the Crisis of Legitimacy

Read Now
Trans Visibility, Resistance, and Hope in an Anti-Trans U.S. Political Climate
Opinion
March 27, 2025

Trans Visibility, Resistance, and Hope in an Anti-Trans U.S. Political Climate

Read Now
Migrant Deaths Along the US-Mexico Border: Causes, Counts, and What the Future May Hold

Migrant Deaths Along the US-Mexico Border: Causes, Counts, and What the Future May Hold

The Accounting for Migrant Deaths Working Group has a simple but ambitious goal – to ensure an accurate count of migrant deaths […]

Read Now
War on Words

War on Words

David Canter considers how words are the frontline in the battle for minds, revealed in the Trump administration banning many everyday words.

Read Now
How Science Can Adapt to a New Normal

How Science Can Adapt to a New Normal

Scientific institutions are in full scramble. No amount of diplomacy or charity can interpret the modern moment as anything other than an […]

Read Now
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments