Should I abstain from sex purely to avoid STIs?

For several years I was ill with Chronic fatigue. Recently my health has improved, I've built up big social networks, my grades are good, my future looks promising. So now that I've sorted out my problems, I was thinking about pursuing some romantic and/or sexual relationships.

However I've done a lot of research into STIs of late and frankly its enough to seriously question whether I should ever have sex. It seems that protection such as condoms and dental damps should be sufficient to protect against the more life threatening STIs like HIV/AIDS you can still get STIs such as Herpes. Your sexual partner doesn't even need to be showing an signs of Herpes for you to catch it. Indeed even a virgin could have Herpes; there seems to be no way of avoiding the risk of it. With startling figures going around that 80% of people have Herpes I'm thinking perhaps I should abstain for life. I'd hate to see my new found health and success ruined by inhibited by an annoying Herpes infection.

There are risk for everything you do in life and you could also get an infection from meeting people in the street or eating at a restaurant.
However thanks God most of all these diseases can be helped with medication etc. So I do not think it should be a reason for you to avoid sex just because you are afraid.
But if you wish to focus on other things in your life then it is fine. However you define yourself if a relationship only has to last 1 day or forever ;)

Abstinence is the best way. Besides, you know what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. If you find the right girl, I'm sure she would acknowledge your fears and both of you could go get checked out before you make a sexual commitment.Notice I said the right girl!

well if u can abstain from kissing then go for it since that is how the oral type of herpes is spread (what 80% of the population has). even scarrier the fact that condoms don't protect against some stds which take only skin to skin contact to transmit. also the numbers of people that have stds or stis can be quite stagering.
its all persoanl choice and knowing your partner and getting them and yourself tested regularally. its up to u if u want to be a 40 year old vergin or not.
i know the feeling about having your health "ruined" as i have herpes and on my recent physical all the numbers that were normal were better then normal including my fertility count. just to let u know herpes isn't life threatening. keep yourself informed about stds and how to prevent getting them is a good way to go.