But for some women, the fear is pathological — and can be so extreme that they avoid becoming pregnant. The condition, which affects six to 10 per cent of women, is known as tocophobia, or tokophobia, from the Greek words for childbirth, tokos, and phobos, meaning intense fear. Women with secondary tocophobia experience distress and suffering as their due date approaches, explained Nguyen, 33. Women with primary tocophobia, who avoid pregnancy and often have a fear of medical environments, tend not to come to the attention of people who can help them. “It is women with primary tocophobia I feel we are failing right now,” Nguyen said.

Source: National Post March 26, 2017 21:45 UTC