Hagar Kamal Masoud¹, Heba Ahmed Mohamed², Hanan Elzeblawy Hassan^3,

Background: Self-medication, as defined by the WHO, involves individuals treating their own health issues and has emerged as a significant public health concern worldwide, addressing billions of health issues each year. Aim: The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an educational program on pregnant women’s knowledge regarding possible side effects of drugs used during pregnancy on the fetus and mother. Subjects and Methods: Design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Sample and Settings: A convenient sample of 358 pregnant women was used at outpatient clinics at Beba Hospital, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, Beni-Suef Governorate. Tools: Tool 1: Women's knowledge regarding possible side effects of teratogenic drugs used during pregnancy on the fetus questionnaire sheet. Tool 2: Women's knowledge regarding possible side effects of teratogenic drugs used during pregnancy on the mother questionnaire sheet. Results: It reveals that 72.8% & 51.8% of the studied sample delayed marriage or childbearing to complete their studies or work. After program implementation, knowledge improved from 8.62±3.78 to 9.21±2.24. Females’ attitude toward oocyte preservation after program implementation improved to 48.52±4.66 compared to 36.83±4.87 preprogram. Working females’ intention regarding oocyte preservation after program implementation is 21.89±2.15 as compared to 19.74±2.98 preprogram. Using the chi-square test revealed highly significant statistical differences between females’ overall knowledge, attitude, and intentions pre- and post-program implementation (P=0.000). Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that after program implementation, the studied female workers at Beni-Suef University had marked improvement in knowledge, attitude, and intention regarding oocyte cryopreservation compared to before program implementation. Recommendations: Advocacy campaigns on safe pregnancy medication use should utilize interactive workshops, posters, and digital resources, emphasizing educational backgrounds and teratogenic medication safety for prenatal care and community health initiatives.

An Educational Program, Women’s Knowledge, Side Effects, Drugs, Fetus, Mother