No, it does not mean you should never have sex again. It does mean, however, that you should talk to any partners before engaging in risky sexual activities (oral, anal and vaginal sex), about your HPV status and that you should always use condoms and other latex barriers if you do decide to have oral, anal or vaginal sex.

Using latex barriers is something all sexually active people should be doing to protect themselves and their partners whether they know they have an STD or not.  Telling someone you are dating that you have an STD can be the hardest part.

Living with an STD can be difficult. But there are lots places (Web sites, support groups, hotlines, etc.) to go to for information and support if you have an STD or want to learn about STDs. A lot of these places have information about the STD as well as support and advice for telling a partner and talking to people about it. A good place to start is the American Social Health Association Web site.

Sometimes when people find out they have an STD it feels like they are alone. But the truth is that one-quarter of sexually active people will become infected with an STD at some point in their lives, even though most of them do not know they are infected. The good thing is that you do know and so you can do something about it by learning the facts about your STD. Spending time exploring the different Web sites, hotlines and support groups can help you realize you are not alone.