This is very true. I felt pretty alarmed and confused (but also turned on) when I discovered the bug chasing fetish, years ago (in fact before this forum even existed). To reassure you, @BlueBear4044 , that was probably 20 years ago, or nearly so, and I lived in SF at the time. It was years before PrEP became available. I'm still HIV negative, now on PrEP, and feel much more comfortable about acknowledging the excitement and exploring it, within the boundaries that I decide are appropriate in practical and emotional terms.
In that way, it's really not different from any other fetish or hazardous activity, some of which have the potential for lasting physical or psychological harm. Responsible adults learn to negotiate the risk in the world and control their interaction with it. That can be safe words and boundary negotiation for BDSM play, PrEP and/or condoms for sex, or any number of other things. To follow up @drscorpio's example, I personally have done technical rock climbing (up a vertical cliff), using ropes and gear to reduce the hazard of a serious fall, and downhill skiing, using releasable bindings to prevent a broken leg. At least once while skiing, I did fall badly enough that without that releasable binding I almost certainly would have broken my ankle. I also do wildcrafting, including mushrooms, and eat some of the things I gather. There are mushrooms out there that are toxic enough that one bite can kill you (literally). I've found and identified one. I've also found, identified, and eaten at least a dozen different types of (non-poisonous) mushrooms. So... you pays your money, you takes your choice. Nothing is absolutely safe this side of the grave, but there's no need to worry about it, we'll get there sooner or later anyway. Best enjoy the ride!
That brings me to the question of why we find it so compelling. Believe me, for bug chasing, I was just as puzzled as you (BlueBear). And that is true even to last week. But your post here along with drscorpio's reply reminded me of an insight I had ages ago (1985 if memory serves). Possibly to be taken with a grain of salt, as I was in a mind-altered state at the time. Here's my theory:
It is a fundamental facet of human nature to want to push the envelope. Risk-taking is baked in to every one of us at a deep biological level. Some people have more of this tendency than others, but every one of us has some of it; it's unavoidable. That part of us want to deliberately explore everything we can get away with; to find our limits and extend them as far as possible without destroying ourselves completely. If there's not some possibility that we've reached the point where we might truly destroy ourselves completely, we haven't gone far enough; in fact, that's how that part of us knows that we haven't gone far enough.
If you think about it from the viewpoint of evolutionary biology, this trait gives the species as a whole (although not necessarily the individuals) an incredible evolutionary advantage. It means that, as a species, we are wired to exploit every available resource, and every resource to which we can adapt (or which we can bend to our purposes) absolutely to the fullest. And if you look at the history of our species, that's exactly what we have done! We have completely dominated the entire planet and its resources, including environments where we could never survive in our "natural" state, and even sent out ambassadors beyond the planet itself. That's a heck of a track record. And I think the argument that it would not have happened without a human trait to risk self-destruction holds together pretty nicely.
So, there's your philosophy rant for this week. There's no reason to feel alarmed or guilty about challenging, or even fetishizing, t-a-b-o-o-s. It's human nature to play with fire.