The Case for Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD)
A white paper from Fearless Birthing, powered by Head Trash Clearance™
A white paper by Head Trash Clearance™
Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD) is a trauma-rooted anxiety disorder that provides a new diagnostic framework for understanding deep-seated fear of conception, pregnancy, and birth.
This white paper presents the case for RAD as a missing and misunderstood condition affecting a significant number of women — often before they are pregnant or even trying to conceive. While tokophobia is typically identified during pregnancy or in those avoiding it, RAD offers a broader, more accurate lens for early identification, treatment, and support.
Grounded in clinical insights and trauma-informed understanding, this paper argues that RAD is not irrational fear — but an emergent expression of unresolved trauma. These origins often trace back to the woman’s own birth experience, in-utero imprinting, or pre-verbal developmental trauma, reinforced by cultural and medical narratives that shape the reproductive identity over time.
Naming RAD is a critical step in recognising and treating a widespread but overlooked emotional health issue — and in shifting how we support women across the reproductive lifespan.
What You’ll Learn
- What Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD) is — and how it differs from and expands on tokophobia
- The origins of RAD in early life trauma, including birth, in-utero, and identity development
- Why tokophobia is insufficient — and how RAD reframes the conversation
- The clinical and emotional presentations of RAD across the reproductive timeline
- How RAD may underpin or coexist with other anxiety conditions (e.g., OCD, GAD, panic disorder)
- The role of the media in reinforcing RAD and fuelling nervous system dysregulation
- Implications for practice, policy, education, and public health
Who It’s For
- Mental health professionals and trauma therapists
- Perinatal mental health specialists, midwives, doulas, and coaches
- Practitioners supporting clients with tokophobia, fertility anxiety, or pregnancy avoidance
- Researchers and academics working in reproductive psychology, women’s health, or medical trauma
- Policymakers and organisations involved in perinatal care and early intervention
- Anyone advocating for better emotional care around maternal mental health
Why RAD Matters
Current diagnostic language fails to capture the complexity of reproductive fear.
Women are misdiagnosed, unsupported, and often dismissed.
By naming RAD, we:
- Recognise trauma before it escalates
- Create new clinical pathways for early support
- Reframe reproductive fear as treatable
- Empower professionals to meet clients where they actually are
Tokophobia isn’t the whole picture.
It’s time for a better name — and a better understanding.