Implications of self-medication in pregnancy for Safe Motherhood and Sustainable Development Goal-3 in selected Ghanaian communities.

Objectives: This study explored self-medication in pregnancy and its implications for achieving Safe Motherhood and Sustainable Development Goal-3 initiatives in some Ghanaian communities.

Study Design: A facility-based cross-sectional descriptive design using mixed method approach of data collection.

Methods: Multi-staged simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 136 pregnant women from public Antenatal Clinics in Efutu and Agona West municipalities in the Central Region of Ghana from June to August 2018. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0 whilst interview guides were used to collect qualitative data via Focus Group Discussions and content analysis done.

Results: Self-medication in the study area is a common practice among most (88%) pregnant women of all socioeconomic backgrounds, those in the first trimester of pregnancy (68.7%) and routine Antenatal clinic attendants (69%). Religion (p ​= ​0.003) and educational (p ​= ​0.004) backgrounds of respondents were significantly associated with self-medication in pregnancy and motivated by reproductive intentions, availability of medicines, time factor, media advertisements and societal influences relating to beliefs, fears, expectations and perceptions. Majority (90%) of respondents had no side effects.

Conclusions: A nation-wide evaluation of public health education on the dangers of self-medication in pregnancy and implementation of drug regulatory policies are highly recommended in Ghana.