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: How Worrying about Your Health Could Be Making You Sick—and What You Can Do About It.
One 2025 survey of 2,000 employed U.S. adults found that three out of five of them avoid health screenings, and fear of bad news or embarrassment are common reasons. There are signs the problem may be worsening. Another 2025 survey of 7,000 adults in the U.S. found that only 51% had a routine medical appointment or cancer screening in the last year—a 10% drop from 2024.
Here’s what to know about FOFO and how to deal with it.
Where does FOFO come from?
“For many people, it comes from a place of anxiety, and it’s an effort to exert some control over a situation that feels uncertain,” says Lynn Bufka, a psychologist and head of practice at the American Psychological Association. “A lot of anxiety drives us to avoidance—we want to avoid the thing that scares us.”
FOFO is especially common among people who have generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or illness anxiety disorder (previously called hypochondriasis), Taylor says. But even people without these conditions can have FOFO. In some cases, “it can be an isolated thing such as being afraid of getting a prostate test, or it can be part of a broader coping style,” Taylor explains. “Sometimes people who avoid screening tests compulsively consult Dr. ChatBot or Dr. Google.”
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For some people, FOFO may stem from previous bad experiences they’ve had in health-care settings or from iatrophobia, a common fear of doctors or medical care. For others, it might be related to a test result that could lead to a sense of shame for having a particular medical condition (such as an STD) or to anxiety about needing treatments they don’t want. “It could be about a fear of finding out some bad news or feeling pressured to make lifestyle choices that are hard,” Bufka says. In these instances, the underlying idea is: “If I don’t have the test, this thing doesn’t exist.”
Having to wait for results can also fuel FOFO. “If you have to wait for results for a couple of weeks, it doesn’t get more anxiety-producing than that,” says Jonathan Abramowitz, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
How to overcome FOFO
The first step is to consider the pros and cons of getting a particular screening test vs. avoiding the test. For example, the pros might include finding out whether you have a medical condition and getting it treated, while the cons may include reducing your anxiety about getting a positive result. “In the long run, the pros of getting the test outweigh the cons,” says Abramowitz. However, “as human beings, we tend to do what makes us feel better in the short term”—which might explain why so many people put off screenings.
If you fall into that camp, it’s worth asking yourself what’s motivating you to avoid the test. “If you’re worried that if the results are positive and what that would mean, you may be underestimating your ability to manage it,” Abramowitz says.
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Also, consider whether you want your fear or anxiety to make your decisions for you, Bufka suggests. She recommends asking yourself: What would happen if I continue to avoid this? Is it worth the risk to continue to put this off? How will I feel about this issue or decision a year down the road? “Facing the fear helps us make choices that are more in line with our values,” she says.
If you’re really feeling stuck in a state of FOFO, talk to your doctor about it, Taylor advises. “Share your concerns and apprehensions, and develop a collaborative plan for moving forward with the test and planning for what you’ll do during the waiting period.” (If FOFO is related to a broader pattern of anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful, too, Abramowitz says.)
Another good strategy: If you need to have several medical tests done, try to schedule a few of them at the same time to get them done efficiently, Abramowitz suggests. It can also help to have a supportive person go with you to a particular test or to reward yourself with a treat—such as a favorite lunch—after you do it.
Ultimately, it’s important to remind yourself that having the recommended medical tests, cancer screenings, and routine examinations is all part of taking good care of yourself.
“It’s to your benefit to get the test—you’re either going to be relieved that nothing is wrong, or you’re going to know what you’re dealing with,” says Abramowitz. “The anticipation is often worse than the actual outcome.”
