Awareness and beliefs of pregnant women about medication use

Medication use during pregnancy is concerning, especially regarding the safety of the developing fetus. The awareness and the beliefs of pregnant women about medications are strongly associated with medication adherence. This study aims to investigate pregnant women's awareness and beliefs regarding medications in Zawia City, Libya. A cross-sectional study including 209 Libyan pregnant women was conducted from January to July 2024 using a self-designed questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric analysis. About 75.0% of the pregnant women agreed that medications should be avoided during pregnancy. Most pregnant women did not believe that all medications are unsafe during pregnancy (80.0%). More than two-thirds of the participants are aware of the most critical stage of pregnancy. 75.0% of Libyan pregnant women lack awareness of the main drugs to be avoided during pregnancy. The primary informative source about medications was the gynecologists. Thus, Libyan pregnant women exhibit positive beliefs toward medication use. However, they lack the awareness of the most important medications that should not be consumed during pregnancy.