Fear of needles is one of health care’s most common, and most ignored, barriers.
Millions of people experience anxiety or panic attacks at just the sight of a syringe. Some avoid routine vaccinations or postpone blood tests or IV treatments until symptoms worsen. Many who intend to donate blood never show up, held back by a fear they rarely admit aloud.
This is not only a personal struggle. It is a public health problem, too. Surveys show that young adults often cite needle anxiety as the top reason they do not donate blood. This extends to care in hospitals daily: the child who must be