‘AIDS Threat: How Serious?’

I am outraged by the article “AIDS--A Threat to All--How Serious?” Gee, how serious can a mere 40,051 reported AIDS cases be? Over 40,000 lives destroyed by this dreadful disease. “We don’t need to panic about heterosexual transmission . . .” is such a naive statement. AIDS does not discriminate--male, female, adult or child--and the numbers of newly reported cases grow constantly.

Any attempt to put the minds of the public at ease should be abandoned. Awareness is our only means of combatting this epidemic! If the general public is led to believe that it’s safe to “go into the water” so to speak, then it won’t be long before there is a mass panic, along with more and more unnecessary new cases.

I really find it necessary to comment on the comparison that was made regarding the dangers of driving vs. the practice of safe sex. I must say that I hope I don’t run into Dr. Harold Jaffe, the Centers for Disease Control’s chief of AIDS epidemiology, on the freeway!

LISA FRONCILLO

Los Angeles