Midwifery student's attitudes towards herbal medicine and its application in obstetric

Knowledge of herbal medicine by the physicians and medical students is essential for patients’ consultation. Due to the increasing use of herbal medicine in obstetric and considering that according to studies almost half of the users of traditional medicine are women of reproductive age, assessing the knowledge and attitudes of midwives and midwifery students in this field is essential. This study was done in the second academic semester to determine the attitude of midwifery students of Ahvaz university of Medical Sciences about herbal medicine and its application in obstetric in 2012. The results of this study showed the interest in learning herbal medicine and a lack of academic training in this field. It was also found that a quarter of students did not know the application of herbal medicine in obstetrics. It seems that inadequate academic training and no access to a reliable source for herbal medicines can effect on the ability of midwifery students in the use of herbal medicine for treatment of patients.