The Case for Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD)
A white paper from Fearless Birthing, powered by Head Trash Clearance™
Why it’s time we name the silent epidemic shaping women’s reproductive health
What if the fear of pregnancy wasn’t irrational?
What if it wasn’t “just anxiety,” or “not being ready,” or “just not maternal”?
What if it was trauma — unconscious, unspoken, and hidden in plain sight?
This white paper introduces Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD) — a trauma-rooted anxiety disorder that may explain why so many women experience profound fear around conception, pregnancy, and birth.
Unlike tokophobia — which is often only recognised during pregnancy or while actively avoiding it — RAD offers a broader, more accurate framework. It acknowledges the early roots of reproductive fear: from one’s own birth trauma, to in-utero or early childhood stress, to puberty and cultural imprinting.
RAD explains what tokophobia doesn’t.
It reveals why some women panic at the thought of pregnancy without knowing why. And it names the deep-rooted fear that often hides beneath the surface of other diagnoses — like OCD, panic disorder, or health anxiety.
This paper makes the case for RAD as a missing piece in women’s mental health.
What You’ll Learn
- Why RAD is a trauma-based anxiety disorder, not a behavioural problem
- The roots of RAD in early life: birth trauma, in-utero imprinting, and cultural conditioning
- How tokophobia fits within RAD — and why calling it RAD changes everything
- New models for understanding fear development, including the Fear Funnel and Timeline of Reproductive Fear
- Clinical observations suggesting RAD may be a foundational form of anxiety
- A roadmap for early identification, trauma resolution, and public awareness
Who It’s For
- Therapists and maternal mental health professionals
- Birth workers, midwives, doulas, and perinatal professionals
- Women who experience anxiety around conception, pregnancy, or birth
- Professionals supporting clients with tokophobia, pregnancy or birth avoidance, or perinatal anxiety
- Advocates for trauma-informed care and early intervention
- Researchers and policy-makers in women’s health
- Anyone advocating for better emotional care around maternal mental health
Tokophobia isn’t the whole picture.
It’s time for a better name — and a better understanding.