Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards the use of herbal medicine among pregnant women at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital. A cross-sectional study.

Background: Herbal medicine use is a common practice among pregnant women in many countries across the world, especially in developing areas. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices of pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized among eighty (80) respondents, who were sampled using a simple random sampling technique. Self-administered questionnaires were designed and used to collect data, which was then analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Findings were presented in the form of tables and figures. Results: Most, 48(60%) of respondents were aged 25-35 years, 53(66.25%) had no formal education, 8(10%) had tertiary education, 45(56.25%) were Baganda while 5(6.25%) were Northerners. Findings revealed majority 95% used HMs like emumbwa, Kamunye, and Ekimyula, obtained from the bush, herbalists, and TBA. Regarding knowledge, 76% knew herbal use during pregnancy, obtaining the information from friends, relatives, the internet, and health workers, but only 15% knew the side effects of herbal medicines during pregnancy. Regarding attitude, the majority 78.75% believed that HMs had no side effects unless used wrongly, and 62.5%believed that HMs are effective in curing pregnancy-related illness when used together with conventional medicines. Conclusion: The majority of participants had adequate knowledge about HM use, and a minority were aware of the side effects of HMs. Pregnant women’s attitude towards use of HMs was generally good, and the majority of them used HMs obtained from bush, herbalists, and TBA. Recommendation: Efforts should be geared towards organizing health education sessions to sensitize women through radios, televisions, and the internet on the dangers of Herbal medicine use. Masaka Regional Referral Hospital administration should also sensitize women about the potential effects of HMs in order to change their attitudes towards HM use during pregnancy.