Dear Cheryl: I'm appalled by the morals of the men who reply to your column. And I'm concerned about your recent columns dealing with men who wouldn't dream of a date without sex. Men have no right to feel entitled to have sex with a lady just because he asked her out on a date.

The column about booty calls sickened me. How can men and women allow themselves to be used in that fashion? Do character, morals and conscience matter anymore? — I Hold Myself to a Higher Standard

Dear IHMTAHS: I've got to stick up for my boys.

Take the issue of sex and dating. If a man is looking for a relationship, he has every right to expect that sex will be part of that relationship at some point. (That's very different then expecting sex in exchange for a meal.)

Some men hope it will be on the first date. Some assume it will happen within three dates. Some don't want it until after an engagement, or even a wedding. The timing isn't as important as the certainty that both parties believe sex is part of a relationship.

If a woman isn't ever going to have sex, she needs to make that perfectly clear. I don't fault any man who doesn't want to get involved under those circumstances.

As far as booty calls are concerned, I'm not going to judge people who, for whatever reason, aren't lucky enough to be in a full, loving, committed relationship that includes sex and have to settle for something less. The only thing I'd hope is that both parties are honest with each other. See the previous letter.

Dear Cheryl: I'm a 28-year-old single male. I work full-time and own a business, so it's been very difficult to maintain a monogamous relationship. Women criticize me for the lack of time and effort I put into relationships.

So, I've gotten used to just dating. What I mean by dating is the two of us enjoying each other's company by going out or staying in, and then having sex. Is this considered a booty call because one of the parties (me) knows that the relationship will never go any further? (There was one booty call that turned into a girlfriend, but now she's a booty call again.)

I do want more, but it's going take a woman who has a combination of all of the best qualities of my dates to keep me interested because I've been with a variety of women for so long. — Run Around Stu

Dear Run Around Stu: I'm getting mixed messages here. On one hand, you say it's difficult to maintain a relationship because you work so much. On the other, you say you've gotten too picky to settle for just one woman when there are so many available.

Why limit yourself to cupcakes when there's a whole bakery right around the corner, eh, Stu?

Let's get back to your booty call question. I don't think a date that consists of going out (say, to a restaurant, a movie or a club) or staying in (maybe watching TV and sharing a pizza) and then having sex is a booty call. It's a date between two consenting adults.

But if one of those adults (you) knows he's never going to be interested in anything more than that, then I think the gentlemanly thing to do is to tell the partner. Some women will be OK with it; some won't. The important thing is to be honest.

Got a problem? Send it, along with your questions and rants to cheryllavinrapp@gmail.com. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not."