Spot Check was an NIH-funded study designed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of using self-collected dried blood spots (DBS) as a way to increase the frequency of HIV testing among young, Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in North Carolina. Participants received a kit in the mail containing everything they needed to prepare a DBS themselves and return it to UNC for testing in our Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)’s Retrovirology Core Laboratory. Unlike with products available at the time of this research study, antibody-based “home” HIV tests, Spot Check was looking for direct evidence of the virus in participants’ blood samples by testing for viral RNA. Because antibodies take weeks to develop after infection, checking for RNA narrows the so-called “window” period and enables much earlier diagnosis of HIV – an advantage for anyone at increased risk of HIV.