Is Unroofing a Papule Necessary?

Unroofing the lesions should be a matter of clinical judgment, says Dr. Matt Rieckhoff. "You do not want to send a swab that you can't visibly see what it is that you swabbed," he adds. Patients can self-swab, especially very painful areas,. And then, don't forget to test HIV in individuals who are presenting with any STI for the first time and don't have a documented HIV status.