Tokophobia, Social Media Use, and Psychosocial Effects During Pregnancy
Chapter from the book: Çuvadar, A. & Arslan, N. (eds.) 2026. Holistic Approaches in Women's Health.

Yeter Çuvadar Baş
İstanbul Gedik University
Nargizahon Erkaboeva
Karabük University

Synopsis

Tokophobia is a psychological condition characterized by intense fear, anxiety, and avoidance behaviors related to childbirth, significantly affecting the pregnancy process, birth experience, and maternal mental health. In recent years, with the widespread use of the internet and social media, pregnant women have increasingly turned to digital platforms to obtain information about pregnancy and childbirth, share experiences, receive social support, and seek solutions to health-related concerns. Social media may enhance women’s knowledge and self-efficacy regarding childbirth through rapid access to information, online support groups, and educational content shared by healthcare professionals. However, exposure to misinformation, traumatic birth stories, negative birth videos, and idealized motherhood representations may increase anxiety, stress, feelings of inadequacy, and fear of childbirth among pregnant women. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) emphasize that fear of childbirth is an important psychosocial issue that should be evaluated during prenatal care. The literature indicates that primigravid women may be more influenced by social media content and that exposure to negative birth experiences may strengthen tokophobic thoughts. On the other hand, reliable digital content, online social support groups, and counseling services provided by midwives and healthcare professionals may contribute to the development of more positive perceptions toward childbirth. This chapter discusses the definition, prevalence, psychosocial effects of tokophobia, and its relationship with social media use in light of current literature. In addition, the importance of improving pregnant women’s digital health literacy, directing them to reliable information sources, and including psychosocial assessment during prenatal care is emphasized.

How to cite this book

Çuvadar Baş, Y. & Erkaboeva, N. (2026). Tokophobia, Social Media Use, and Psychosocial Effects During Pregnancy. In: Çuvadar, A. & Arslan, N. (eds.), Holistic Approaches in Women's Health. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub1373.c5579

License

Published

July 2, 2026

DOI

Categories