Jooste, Sean http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3984-5997
Mabaso, Musawenkosi
Taylor, Myra
North, Alicia
Shean, Yolande
Simbayi, Leickness Chisamu
Funding for this research was provided by:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NU2GGH001629)
Article History
Received: 6 October 2020
Accepted: 2 August 2021
First Online: 26 August 2021
Declarations
:
: The survey protocol was approved by the HSRC Research Ethics Committee (REC: 4/18/11/15) and the Associate Director for Science, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ethical clearance was also obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BE 646/18). Informed consent was obtained before undertaking both the behavioural data and specimen collection. Participant interview privacy and confidentiality was protected through unique individual identifiers. This also included the use of linked anonymous blood testing with informed consent. All youth and adults who agreed to participate were required to provide written or verbal consent for cases where participants were illiterate and were unable to sign the consent form for themselves. Where such situations arose, an impartial witness would sign on behalf of the participant certifying that informed consent has been given verbally by the participant. The ethics committees approved the procedure for verbal consent. Guardians provided informed consent to allow their eligible children to be approached by the fieldworkers. Minors then provided their own assent to participate in the study.
: Not applicable.
: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.