Automedicación con antibióticos en estudiantes del nivel superior del Perú: una lectura crítica de las prácticas y representaciones sobre la salud

Antibiotic self-medication constitutes a significant public health problem due to its contribution to antimicrobial resistance and the inappropriate use of these drugs. In the Peruvian university context, this practice has been normalized as a daily strategy to manage discomfort, conditioned by sociocultural and academic factors, as well as the perceived limited accessibility to healthcare services. The objective of the study was to critically analyze the practices and representations of antibiotic self-medication among higher education students, considering sociocultural, discursive, and educational factors that shape their understanding of health. A qualitative research study was conducted, grounded in the hermeneutic-critical paradigm, using an inductive method of a basic type, with a critical ethnographic-interpretative and cross-sectional design. The results show that self-medication emerges as a normalized and pragmatic practice, associated with both perceived autonomy regarding minor ailments and the accessibility of antibiotics and the pressure to maintain academic continuity. Consumption decisions are mainly supported by informal sources, while the pharmacy serves as a central space for rapid access. Although there is an incipient awareness of the risks, especially bacterial resistance, this awareness does not always translate into behavioral changes, showing unequal agency according to the level of training and access to information. It is concluded that antibiotic self-medication remains a common practice, highlighting a gap between biomedical knowledge and actual practices, which favors the reproduction of collective risks linked to antimicrobial resistance.