– How likely is it that this is Herpetic Whitlow?
Very hard to say for sure but if pushed, I would say unlikely
– What would the other diagnoses for these symptoms be?
I honestly don’t know but people do get bumps and red areas on their hands all the time
– Should I refrain from manually stimulating sexual partners with the finger if the symptoms are present? How about if the symptoms are not present?
I would say there is no risk of you are having no symptoms as finger skin is too thick for asymptomatic shedding.
– Am I at risk of infecting myself in other areas when the symptoms are present?
No, but at some point, you might consider getting an HSV 2 antibody test or get another swab when symptoms are present, for sure, and this time, ask for the bump to be opened before swabbing
Terri