Youth with HIV (YWH) often face barriers to routine viral load monitoring, typically requiring in-person clinic visits and blood draws. Viral load measures the amount of HIV in a person's blood and is a key indicator of how well treatment is controlling the virus. Dried blood spot (DBS) biosampling, which involves collecting a few drops of blood on specialized filter paper, may offer a more flexible alternative for monitoring HIV treatment.

A mixed-methods pilot study by Associate Professor Karen MacDonell, Ph.D., Professor Sylvie Naar, Ph.D., and colleagues evaluated home-based DBS collection among YWH ages 15 to 24 participating in a nationwide clinical trial. Participants completed training and returned self-collected DBS kits by mail for viral load testing.

Researchers found positive relationships between participants' perceptions of the feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of home-based DBS collection. The findings provide preliminary evidence that home-based DBS collection is both feasible and acceptable among YWH and may support more flexible approaches to HIV monitoring and research participation.