Dear Folks,The UMBe Mine column in the Feb. 5 issue downplayed HIV and gave extraordinarily bad advice to the letter writer.

If you’re not willing to put your life on the line, you shouldn’t hop into bed with an HIV-positive person. Also, HIV isn’t some precursor to the disease, as Wicked Pussycat seemed to suggest: “People live for years with HIV and never get AIDS. You could experience many wonderful, romantic and exciting times with this person and you will probably forget that he’s ill.” ?

HIV is a disease that damages your immune system. AIDS is a term used to describe the disease in its advanced stage, when the immune system is weakened and the victim becomes vulnerable to opportunistic infections of other diseases, like tuberculosis or meningitis.

I can’t believe that you would do such haphazard research on such a serious question: Should this woman sleep with an HIV-positive man? I’m not advocating for discrimination against HIV-positive people, but when you have sex with an HIV-positive person, you’re putting yourself at risk for being infected with a deadly disease. It was considerate of this man to be open and honest about his situation, but unless you’re willing to die for him, why gamble? ? Condoms are a good start, but they’re not foolproof. There’s no cure for HIV, but there are expensive medications used to treat it. HIV is spreading all around the world.

I don’t think that Pussycat and Lovechester intended to write such misleading advice, but I was shocked at the lack of information that they provided about the disease’s risks and prevention. It’s disturbing that these sex-advice columnists would be so ignorant about it and write such ill-informed drivel. -Andy MetzgerVia email