@incollection{fdi:010084102,
  title = {{S}elf-medication versus consultation : individual autonomy and dependence in health decisions},
  author = {{B}axerres, {C}arine and {S}ams, {K}elley and {H}oungnihin, {R}.{A}. and {A}rhinful, {D}.{K}. and {L}e {H}esran, {J}ean-{Y}ves},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}ndividuals address health problems in one of two ways: in their home or social environment, or by calling upon specialists, for both of which medications play an important role, from pharmaceuticals to herbal treatments. {T}his chapter examines how social determinants, conceptions of autonomy, and popular knowledge shape behaviors around medication use. {T}he situations we studied in {B}enin and {G}hana, in contexts where health expenditures are only infrequently covered by an insurance system, underline trade-offs between different forms of self-medication and specialist consultation. {M}obilizing extensive experiential knowledge, self-medication reflects a form of positive autonomy, regardless of socioeconomic status or living situation. {H}owever, when people do not feel able to manage their health problems on their own, this autonomy is largely constrained. {S}ocioeconomic inequalities are clearly expressed in the contexts we studied. {S}o as for territorial inequalities: the inhabitants of the capital cities and the semirural and rural areas do not have the same options for health care. {S}ocioeconomic inequalities do not act in rural context, as available services are largely the same regardless of socioeconomic status. {T}his chapter ends wondering whether the extensive and omnipresent pharmaceutical distribution in the {G}lobal {S}outh is a factor in devaluing the status of biomedical expertise.},
  keywords = {{BENIN} ; {GHANA}},
  booktitle = {{U}nderstanding drugs markets : an analysis of medicines, regulations and pharmaceutical systems in the {G}lobal {S}outh},
  numero = {},
  pages = {225--248},
  address = {{O}xon ({GBR}) ; {N}ew-{Y}ork},
  publisher = {{R}outledge},
  series = {{R}outledge {S}tudies in the {S}ociology of {H}ealth and {I}llness},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.4324/9780429329517-10},
  ISBN = {978-1-03-204313-5},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010084102},
}