Although no one wants to have an STD, it's not the end of your sex life if you have one. And there are things to know about having sex with an STD that will protect your and your partner both emotionally and physically. But the most important thing to not think of yourself as "damaged goods," because you're not.
If you ever thought "it could never happen to me," about an STD, you were simply misguided. According to the American Sexual Health Organization, more than half of all people will have an STD at some point in their lifetime, and one in two sexually active persons will contract an STD by age 25. This is not to spread fear, or information intended to normalize being infected with an STD (even though it is kind of the new normal) — it's just the reality of the world today.
The most important thing about having any type of sex is that you're honest with yourself and your partner). Sexual honesty is part of consent in my book. You might think that having an STD opens you up to judgment. Nope. Your sex life is your business (and well, the business of those with whom you have sex). The following things to know about having sex with an STD are judgment-free and intended to help you love yourself, because it's not anyone else's job to do that but your own.