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Article History

Received: 15 June 2025

Accepted: 23 January 2026

First Online: 7 February 2026

Declarations

:

: The research study was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, with specific attention to ethical considerations such as informed consent and parental consent for minors, as well as adolescent assent, protection of participants’ details and minimisation of risks. Ethical clearance was sought from the University of Venda’s Ethics Clearance Committee (Ethics Number: FHS/23/PH/04/2004) and Limpopo Department of Health Research Ethics (LP_2024-04-005). Permission was also granted from the Vhembe District Health Office (S5/4/2/3). Participation in the study was voluntary, and researchers obtained written informed consent from all the participants, including the parents or legal guardians of teenagers younger than 16 years of age prior to engaging them in the research. In addition, the researchers obtained written informed assent from the teenagers who were permitted to participate in the study. Throughout the study, the researcher ensured that participants were not harmed by carefully structuring questions and monitoring them for signs of distress. Participants were interviewed in a private room to ensure their privacy. A code replaced all direct identifiers in the information collected from participants. The data was then securely stored in a password-protected database that required two-factor authentication for access.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.