OCD Fears of Magical Impregnation

Magical Impregnation Fears: What if I get someone pregnant?

Magical impregnation fears within Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are doubts and fears about getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant. Fears can arise about getting someone pregnant without even having sexual intercourse with them. These fears and obsessions can exist even if the person has not had any physical contact with the other person. Within this fear the worry can involve both sides, what if I get pregnant or what if I got someone else pregnant. A person with this fear may logically know that it is not possible for them to get someone pregnant without having sex with them. They may know it is illogical or even impossible, yet the fear still persists. And all OCD needs is to get its foot in the door and start the flood of doubts. These doubts, when engaged with can convince a person that this fear is more probable of happening then they think.

Common obsessions of Magical Impregnation:

• Thinking that you are pregnant despite lack of sexual activity.

• Thinking you have impregnated someone else without having had any sexual interaction/intercourse.

• Irregularities in menstruation.

• Hyperfocus on bodily sensations that could be pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, frequent urination, or feeling like something is moving in your stomach.

• Hyperfocus on potential signs of pregnancy nausea/frequent urination in a partner.

• What if there was semen on that towel?

• Did I spread semen on a surface that someone can get pregnant from?

• Was there semen on my hands when I touched that?

• My period should have come today. Could I be pregnant somehow?

• What if the protection we used didn’t work?

Common Triggers of Magical Impregnation:

• Seeing pregnant people.

• Physical or sexual contact of any kind.

• Experiencing nausea or any other pregnancy-related symptom.

• Coming in contact with objects or surfaces that have been touched by others.

• Seeing babies.

• Masturbation.

• Conversations or media involving pregnancy.

Average Worries Versus Excessive Worries:

To a degree within this fear, an average worry can be present. Irregularities in menstruation or a broken condom after sex may leave a person feeling worried or anxious about a potential pregnancy. Where its turns into more obsessions and compulsions is the intensity and frequency. Within this OCD, the fears may be excessive and repetitive. Worries about pregnancy that are basically impossible to happen. The person with OCD will engage in compulsions as a result of these obsessions. There might be difficulty in resisting the compulsions and urges. Compulsions may take up over an hour of a persons day. Compulsions are rituals/behaviors that offer relief from the obsessions. Engaging in the compulsion can reduce the anxiety and provide short term relief. A person is more likely to seek that short term relief with the compulsion, and look to reinforce the OCD cycle that keeps them stuck.

Common Compulsions of Magical Impregnation:

• Taking frequent pregnancy tests.

• Avoiding contact with the people or objects that trigger fears about impregnation.

• Taking emergency contraception when not needed.

• Rumination over these obsessions.

• Wearing condoms outside of the context of sexual activity.

• Avoiding sexual acts or interactions.

• Mentally reviewing past sexual encounters.

• Repetitively asking people for reassurance.

• Frequently visiting the doctor to get blood tests done or to ensure one is not pregnant.

• Compulsively researching possible pregnancy symptoms.

• Checking surfaces, clothing, or underwear for semen.

• Washing clothes often.

• Avoiding contact with people or objects that one fears they could impregnate.

• Researching if it’s possible to get pregnant in obscure ways.

Magical Impregnation Example:

Helen has been with her boyfriend for three years and they are sexually active together. Helen has been diagnosed with OCD four years ago with worries and themes related to contamination. Ever since she started dating her boyfriend and they have become sexually active, Helen has started to worry and obsess about getting pregnant. Helen often worries that her boyfriend will have semen on his hands after sex and will get her sister pregnant. Helen often asks him for reassurance that he has washed his hands after sex. Helen ruminates over what she would do if she got pregnant. She consistently monitors her body for any physical signs of being pregnant. Any time after sex with her boyfriend, she will take a pregnancy test or an emergency contraceptive. Helen finds it difficult to resist these compulsions and finds a sense of relief after engaging in them. Helen is showing common signs of magical impregnation fears.

Treatment for Magical Impregnation OCD:

Treatment for this sub-type of OCD, like all forms of OCD is the gold standard of treatment, exposure and response prevention (ERP). Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) looks at the idea that triggering situations and thoughts are at the core of OCD. Ongoing exposure to these triggers without engagement in rituals can reduce the severity felt. As a licensed mental health therapist trained in ERP, I will assist you through the exposures and how to implement effective response prevention measures. If you feel that OCD has had a negative impact on your life, you might consider counseling and ERP to learn how to handle it more effectively. Please feel free to reach out for a free consultation, where we can discuss the impacts of OCD and benefits of counseling/ERP.