Introduction:
It is important for women to be able to access, understand, evaluate and apply the necessary health information in order to improve and maintain both their own health and family health. In particular, it is possible for women to access and apply accurate information about the pregnancy and birth process with an adequate level of health literacy. This study aims to examine the mediating role of health perception in the effect of health literacy on women's perception of traumatic birth.

Material and Methods:
The research was carried out with the relational screening model from the general screening model. In the study, the data collection tool consisting of the Introductory Information Form, Health Literacy Scale, Traumatic Birth Perception Scale and Health Perception Scale was applied to 472 participants through an online survey.

Results:
It was determined that women's health literacy and health perception levels were quite high and their perception of traumatic birth was at medium level. The mediating role of certainty and self-awareness in health perception in the relationship between understanding information in health literacy and traumatic birth perception; the mediating role of certainty and self-awareness in health perception in the relationship between application in health literacy and traumatic birth perception; the mediating role of certainty in health perception in the relationship between access to information in health literacy and traumatic birth perception.

Conclusions:
Women need adequate health literacy in order to make healthy decisions in reproductive knowledge, pregnancy, birth and postnatal processes and to guide them in situations affecting their own and their babies' health. In order to reduce the perception of traumatic birth, it should be emphasised that women's information needs regarding maternal and child health and reproductive health should be met, and health literacy and health perception levels should be taken into consideration in intervention studies.