DR. WALLACE: I'm 20, and my fiance is 22. We plan to get married in five months. About six months ago, my fiance's ex-girlfriend called and warned me that he had a horrible temper and had, on several occasions, struck her; once she even had to receive treatment at the emergency room of our local hospital. She said she didn't want me to find out the hard way that he had what she called a "latent violent streak." Since my fiance had never displayed any sort of violence toward me, I just dismissed her call and thought she must simply have been jealous about losing him to me.

However, last week, I was supposed to meet my fiance at a restaurant for dinner, but I was 15 minutes late. When I got to the restaurant, he was visibly upset. He grabbed my wrist and told me that if I ever "stood him up" again, he would break my arm. His grip on my wrist was so strong I couldn't move my fingers.

This action shook me up; I never expected to have him act like this, and in fact, it scared me a bit. Worst of all, he did this in public, and the couple the next table over stared at us for several minutes but said nothing. I didn't want to cause a scene in public, so I just acted normal and pretended that his actions didn't hurt me — even though I wanted to say, "Ouch! Stop that!" at the top of my lungs. I just bit my lip and said nothing, and he released my wrist after about 30 excruciating seconds.

I saw him the next day, and he acted like nothing had happened. He was sweet and asked me questions about our upcoming wedding. He got all kissy on my neck and whispered sweet nothings in my ear. What should I do now? On the one hand, this is the only time he has ever acted out against me, but on the other hand, he has now shown me a different side of his personality that I frankly never knew existed. I don't really want to break off our engagement, but now I'm getting a little worried about his personality. — Engaged and Confused, Brooklyn, New York

ENGAGED AND CONFUSED: I suggest that you heed his ex-girlfriend's warning, and do not — I repeat, do not — marry this guy! If you do, your life will quite likely become a nightmare sooner or later.

Your fiance has a serious emotional flaw and needs professional help. Do not allow him to sweet talk you into believing that this outburst was a one-time thing. It will very likely happen to you again if you allow him to continue on as if nothing happened. You now know he is capable of acting this way toward you, and you have firsthand testimony of another lady who was so concerned about this behavior that she felt compelled to call you and warn you. You can see there is a pattern here and you actually have caught a huge break in finding this out before the wedding. Leave this guy immediately, and don't look back!

SHOULD I BE TESTED?

DR. WALLACE: I'd like your advice because I just got a tattoo on my shoulder. It's my first tattoo ever, and I like it a lot, but now my best girlfriend tells me people can get many different diseases from a tattoo needle. Is that true? Should I now be tested to see if I have any bad diseases? — Tattooed Girl, Reno, Nevada

ANONYMOUS: As long as a new, sterile needle was used, you can't contract a disease from it. It is possible to get a virus, however, if the same tattooing needle was previously used on an infected person before it was used on you.

The key is likely where you received your tattoo. If it was from a reputable store that has been in business in your community for many years, they would have a strict policy of using new, sterile needles with each customer and disposing them after the customer finishes with their ink.

For peace of mind, contact the location you received your tattoo and ask them over the phone their policy about needles. You can also speak to anyone else you know of who has had work done at that same shop.

Of course, you can always request tests from your family doctor if you feel the need to or if you show even minor symptoms after receiving your new tattoo.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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