So... What does that mean for sex with life partners? I guess I'm wondering whether the typical choice is to use condoms forever... Or for the partner to expose themself to the virus (since it can be so well controlled with medication).

Herpes is a virus. A relative of the virus that results in coldsores (though a different strain). I think warts is another virus too (where the genital and non genital varieties are different strains)...

I guess I'm wondering 'cause my previous partner was so careful about safe sex practices that I wondered whether he might have picked something up but didn't want to tell me yet... He made comments about 'ALWAYS' using a condom etc and it got me wondering whether he meant before we both went to the doctor and shared our results or literally 'ALWAYS'.

Can it be passed to the foetus? How does the conception thing work? Lab samples?

(I'm genuinely interested. I think the stigma is a shame, too)