I don't actually own or use this fascinating fertility hud, but I'm seriously tempted. It puts a whole new perspective onto women's fertility, with the possibility of falling pregnant. And there's enough people around to suggest that many, many female SL users (and male ones too!) like the idea of becoming parents in SL. Essentially, you can have unprotected (or, at your choosing, protected...the pill, condoms) sex, and then check your replicated menstrual cycle to see if you are pregnant. Personally, I think this should come as standard for avatars (as, on male avatars, a realistic penis should be standard, but perhaps only manifesting itself after 30-60 days inworld, to allow males to get used to the idea that they aren't just inworld to have sex 7 minutes after signing up! But that's another argument for another day).
I like the idea of sexuality with responsibility! I like the idea that SL replicates RL fertility, and the possibility of becoming pregnant. The idea that a woman's body will change and directly affect her role in SL for a few RL weeks appeals to me, and I'd go further in setting the profile pages to include records of parenthood (how many children, and with how many partners). And I'm not even against SL operating some sort of 'condom and pill' based contraceptive purchasing. Make it a nominal fee....something like L$1 a month....for all users, proceeds towards sex education charities. As many SL users are very young, it would be a salutory lesson in taking responsibility within the game just as it is important to take it in real life.
There cannot be many women in SL who have not, at some point in their lives, had the worry of a period being late. For some, it is an exciting period, an achievement they relish. For others, as the result of one night stands, contraceptive failures with long term partners and so on, it is a period of huge and immense worry. Is the missing period a result of pregnancy? Is the child unplanned? Unwanted at this time? Unwanted at all?
I'd also be quite keen to see the Mama Allpa hud produce a prim baby at the end of the pregnancy, with that also being recorded in a profile, or perhaps physically attached to the mother or father....just there each time they log in....so to continue the sense of responsibility and permanent, physical presence of a child.
Yes, SL is SL, a fantasy, a fantasy world where we can fulfil our often untried real life fantasies. In one respect it is nice to achieve those fantasies and live them out. In another sense, I do like the idea of making the experience as accurate as possible. The Mama Allpa hud goes some way to replicating this, and for that, I love it! All manner of altered SL experience can flow from that.
I've had long conversations with others about the introduction of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases or infections) into SL, as standard. Most recoil at the idea, but I think that, with some sense of responsibility by those organising it, it could be another important step to making SL 'more real'. The Bloodlines system, where vampires bit you and if they continued to bite you, your SL health declined until overridden by a potion (wormwood?) or your avatar died. Obviously the scripts are available to do this then in a sexual setting. I would like to see a system where several rogue scripts, relating to sexual diseases of various seriousness, attach themselves to partners if sex takes place. If you catch the script, then a trip to the clinic to have it treated (again, make it very, very cheap) is possible. But in the case of the more serious ones, then the cure is much more expensive, and perhaps even one script where the avatar is going to die. That is, be deleted from the user base after a period of time.
I don't say this for any evil intent. I say this because, I've already said it, with sex comes responsibility, and SL should also reflect this. There is no place, or should be no place, for bald noobs with permanently erect, woeful looking cocks doing their noob walk around sims asking women if they'd like to f*** and then going 'mmmmmm', 'so hawt baybee' for 2 minutes before spurting into the air.
Anyway....I've wandered off the subject but hopefully there is some topics for discussion in what I've written and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Back to Mama Allpa. For no other reason (right now) all the guys are gorgeous at the sim, and almost without exception have made a real effort with their avis. The women too, of course. It's worth hanging around just to enjoy the eye candy!
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