Document is current

Article History

Received: 4 April 2025

Accepted: 26 May 2025

First Online: 6 June 2025

Declarations

:

: The DHS data of Lesotho were collected in accordance with both national and international ethical guidelines. Ethical approval was obtained from ICF International and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Institutional Review Board. At the time of data collection, all study participants provided informed consent, and data were collected anonymously. For participants younger than 18 years, informed consent was obtained from a parent or legal guardian, and assent was obtained from the minors themselves, in accordance with standard DHS ethical procedures. The study’s purpose and the voluntary nature of participation were clearly explained to participants by the data collectors and no personally identifiable information was used in this analysis. Ethical guidelines were rigorously followed to ensure privacy and confidentiality, with minimal risk to participants. Additional information regarding the DHS data and ethical standards is available atwww.measuredhs.com.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.