Tokophobia, known as the fear of childbirth, may be considered as one of the reasons why some women choose to terminate their pregnancies rather than go through childbirth.
Research suggests that women may be anxious about the risk of injuries or complications, pain, their ability to give birth, losing control, and interactions with health professionals during pregnancies. So it is understandable that the prospect of childbirth can be scary, not just among first-time pregnant women but also among those who had given birth previously.
However, for some women, this phobia becomes so severe that they prefer not to get pregnant and if they do, then it has to be terminated.
Research evidence shows that other people’s negative birth stories can increase the fear of going through childbirth for some women. But on the other hand, many women find it helpful to talk about their experiences. Most times, people share their experiences with others to get help from more experienced individuals.
So far, researchers say it’s important that women with a more severe fear of birth feel able to talk about their concerns because women who are experiencing a severe, overwhelming fear of birth will not be reassured by being told that everybody gets a little anxious. What they need is maximum support and care. This is important because anxiety in pregnancy has a lot of negative side effects to both the mother and the baby. So, once it’s detected, treatment begins.
This also means that everyone must take women suffering from tokophobia seriously, especially when they are brave up to disclosing their fears, issues and concerns.
13 thoughts on “Did you know that Tokophobia might be another reason for abortion?”