Awareness and Knowledge of Antibiotic Resistance and Risks of Self-Medication With Antibiotics Among the Aseer Region Population, Saudi Arabia, 2023.

Background: Antibiotics are a groundbreaking discovery that revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases in both humans and animals during the 20th century. However, their overuse and misuse led to serious public health threats, causing widespread concern and significant social and economic consequences. Microorganisms have a natural ability to develop resistance to antibiotics over time through genetic mechanisms, which has further exacerbated the problem.