The case which the main story in the THURSDAY STAR speaks about will never be tried in a court other than that of public opinion, because both the attacker and victim are dead.

It is yet another case of murder/suicide - a scenario that has become nauseatingly familiar in our society. This time, however, speculation is rife that the root of the madness was a sexually transmitted infection which one partner blamed the other for infecting him/her with.

Whether or not this is so does not, ultimately, matter in the case that has given rise to this discussion, save to their immediate relatives who will no doubt continue to be haunted by this terrible occurrence. It does, however, leave lessons for those of us who are involved in sexually intimate relationships in our lives - in other words, the overwhelming majority.

And the primary lesson is that there is no sexually transmitted infection which we cannot live with - and live well too. What cannot be cured can be controlled and, with regard to their physical well-being, the person's quality of life will not decline. In fact, in some cases it will go up, as there are steps towards good health which must be taken as part of the treatment programme.

Of course, there are those who feel that they cannot live with the sense of betrayal and the humiliation that comes with infidelity, maybe even more so than any STIs that might come along with it. For those persons, we can only advise that your life does not begin or end with any other human being on this planet, but you will find that out only if you are alive to discover and enjoy new things and new people.