With all the talk (See recent issues of Wired/Popsci and various websites) of gengineering equipment and DNA tinkering knowledge becoming more available to everybody, how long do you think it'll be before we start seeing real life Shadowclinics?

I personally know many people who'd volunteer if "Jerry up the block was tinkering with this new super strong bones gene mod, it could give you osteogenesis imperfecta on the badside but 98 out of 100 mice get bones that'd make Wolverine jealous" for example.

Thoughts on this?

<shrug> It already exists, to an extant. Disgraced doctors and vetrinarians that ply their trade in secret, cash on the barrel. Cosmetic surgeons who do under-the-table procedures that may not be approved by the Surgeon General, or who use drugs pending approval (or condemned by) the FDA. Typically, you're talking very weird or discreet or difficult procedures that cost a great deal and are very illegal. The most wide-spread practice in the US used to be abortions, but legalization of the procedure has improved that little mess, thankfully.

Still, imagine a girl faced with an arranged marriage - but for one reason or another, her hymen was broken and she needs to appear to be a virgin. Time to call up the back-alley plastic surgeon for a discreet restoration. The back-alley docs in the Phillipines that the kids go to with a wad of bills and a bag of little plastic bb's is another example.

Genetech...not so much, yet. Oh, you could have some, but it's probably in vitro, if anything.

What are the BBs for?

Raised bumps on the penis, actually. I'm told it's quite the attraction to the young ladies, although trusting your jewels to a back-alley surgeon that drinks half the sterilization fluid before a drop touches you might dim your fire a bit.

AH, the stuff you know..... just worries me.... a lot... often..... whenever you post really..... gonna go hide now.....

Hymen reconstruction is pretty popular and currently legal. It's been a few years since I read the article, I think it was Time though. I'd look it up but I'm lazy.
Anywho, a big portion of the clientle are foreign female students who have to go back home and face those arranged marriages you've talked about. So, a few docs in the East have started specializing in this.
As far as the bb's, one of my sociology classes mentioned they were popular among men, but prostitutes those men had slept with were unimpressed. For what it's worth.

O.o

o.O


Oh HELL no! Aiiiigh!

*runs away.*

I think the bb implant is called a Perla, or something like that. Spanish for Pearl, I'd guess. At least, thats what I've heard it called in porn.

Until Roe V Wade, aborotions were done through shadow clinics.
Right now this stuff needs real high end funding.

Pearling stems from Polynesians implanting pearls under the skin the penis.

There's not much to it, cut incision, lift skin, insert. Repeat. Its the same as most any of the implants that the kids are gettin' these days.

If I'm remembering one of my older hobbies, it was popular with some of the Japanese, as well. It might feel better, but it looks like you've come down with some seriously hellacious cancer in your bipper.

Further examples of real-life cutters can be found in the same vein, though. Its not as uncommon as you think to find someone who'll amuputate limbs or perform castrations, in the extreme sense, as well as just lesser procedures (subcisicions, meatonomies, implants, etc).

Back alley plastic surgeons for less sexual needs are also not uncommon. Haven't you ever seen any of the horror stories from those gone wrong? Yeow!

It's not illegal (well, as far as I know, some of our Southern states have weird laws), but it is the sort of thing most people would prefer to have done confidentially, in private clinics or the like. Because the point is for someone not to find out.