Do You Have FOFO?

You’re undoubtedly familiar with the term FOMO—fear of missing out—but you may not have heard of FOFO: fear of finding out. It’s a common reason many people don’t get recommended health screening tests such as mammograms , Pap smears , STD tests, blood tests, and full-body skin cancer checks .

FOFO isn’t a clinical diagnosis; it’s a colloquial term and something many people and doctors are well acquainted with. In recent years, it’s been gaining more attention in the medical community and the media. “There is very little research on this specific topic, but clinicians who work in the area of health anxiety are very familiar with it,” says Steven Taylor, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia and coauthor of the book It’s Not All in Your Head: Ho