The condition ‘tokophobia’ may be unfamiliar to many people, but a majority of women suffer from the crippling condition.
Tokophobia is the extreme fear of pregnancy and childbirth and is much more heightened from general trepidation, which is normal.
A study suggested 60 percent of American women – about 40million – have the phobia, which can result in bouts of anxiety, avoiding sex, or not feeling emotionally connected to their unborn child.
The findings come at a time when fewer women in the US are having children than ever before.
A study published last month in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health found more than half of women in the US had tokophobia, or the fear of childbirth
The study findings on tokophobia come at a time when fewer women in the US are having children than ever before
There are two subsets of the condition. Primary tokophobia occurs in people who have never been pregnant, and secondary tokophobia develops after a traumatic event during pregnancy or labor, such as a stillbirth.
In some people, it stems from other fears, such as fear of pain (algophobia), fear of doctors (iatrophobia), and fear of children (pedophobia).
A study published last year in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health found 62 percent of American women had high levels of fear and worry surrounding childbirth – constituting tokophobia.
Lead author of the study Dartmouth College anthropologist Zaneta Thayer surveyed 1,800 American women in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, which researchers say may have affected the results.
Half of the respondents – who had an average age of 31 – had never given birth, and more than one-third had previously experienced high-risk pregnancies.
Dr Javine McLaughlin, an OB-GYN and senior director or clinical solutions at Carrot Fertility, told Yahoo!: ‘The fears a person may experience can persist longer than six months and can cause people to feel overwhelmed, resulting in sometimes extreme efforts to avoid pregnancy or childbirth.
‘Tokophobia can severely impair a person’s ability to function in their work or social lives.’
Patricia Bogard, 33, from Chicago, suffers with the condition and has no children.
‘I am at the age where it has become critical for me to decide whether I want to have kids and I have always [had] a fear of being pregnant, to the point where I’m dating and I’m like “Do you want a surrogate?”‘ she has previously told DailyMail.com.
Ms Bogard added: ‘You see all these stories about black women going into labor and not coming out.
‘Knowing there’s a chance that you won’t come out, there’s a real fear of going into labor and having complications. Things like that have really made it hard for me to want to have kids.’
Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the US – 69.9 per 100,000 live births for 2021, almost three times the rate for white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tokophobia can also impact dating, Ms Bogard has found.
She said: ‘I’ve had people who have been very receptive to it. And I’ve also had people who have basically said that this was a deal breaker for them.’
Ms Bogard fears both pregnancy and birth. She would rather have a surrogate than give birth and she has also considered adoption.
Tokophobia has a vast range of causes, but is commonly linked to past trauma.
‘Secondary tokophobia typically develops after a traumatic childbirth or obstetric outcome,’ said Dr Aimee Danielson, a clinical psychologist and director of the women’s mental health program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
‘It can occur after a stillbirth, pregnancy loss or termination of pregnancy.’
Primary tokophobia can be brought on by witnessing or hearing about someone else’s traumatic birth experience.
Actor Dame Helen Mirren admitted to suffering from tokophobia after watching a graphic film.
The Oscar-winning actress revealed her deeply held fear on an Australian television show, blaming a graphic video of childbirth shown to her as a 13-year-old schoolgirl for her childlessness ever since.
‘I swear it traumatized me to this day,’ she said. ‘I haven’t had children and now I can’t look at anything to do with childbirth. It absolutely disgusts me.’
‘A child or teen witnessing another person’s complicated childbirth ― or even a medically uncomplicated birth ― could be a risk factor,’ Dr Danielson said.
She added: ‘And sometimes that extreme fear or dread of pregnancy doesn’t actually manifest until a person is newly married or newly partnered, and parenthood is coming up or is otherwise on the table in front of them.’
Past sexual trauma or abuse may also kickstart the fear, causing a fear of vaginal exams, which are required as part of prenatal care.
Experts have recommended that educating yourself is the best way to deal with tokophobia.
‘Taking childbirth classes and improving understanding of the pregnancy and childbirth process can help decrease the unknown components that are often associated with the pregnancy and childbirth process,’ Dr McLaughlin said.
She added: ‘Having a support person throughout pregnancy and delivery such as a doula can also help advocate and create a soothing atmosphere for delivery.’
Talking to people who have had positive birth experiences can also ease anxieties around birth.
Counseling may also alleviate fears, as therapists can hone in on the root causes. Bottling it up and avoiding talking about your worries can result in more distress.
In-person and online support groups are also a tool to use, as they are a safe space to address negative feelings about pregnancy.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
