Online Safe Sex Game Attracts 125,000 (R rated instructional Cartoon)

Reuters, via Yahoo ^ | Mon Jul 8, 2:38 PM ET | reuters health

[greydog]

BARCELONA (Reuters Health) - An online safe sex game featuring saucy sound effects and street slang has introduced more than tens of thousands of young people to safe sex facts that they might otherwise be unaware of, a British charity said on Monday.

In www.SuperShagLand.com, a parody of Nintendo ( news - web sites)'s hit Super Mario Brothers, an intrepid man or woman chases the boy or girl of their dreams, gaining points for each condom they gather and losing points for drinking alcohol or bumping into monks, nuns or dogs.

Reaching the end of the game before the climaxometer falls from Sting to Boris Becker entitles players to a cartoon moment of passion before offering them a chance to browse facts about safe sex.

K-Generation, the charity that developed the site, released a report at the International AIDS ( news - web sites) Conference showing that 125,000 people had accessed the site since it was launched on World AIDS Day in November 2001.

The report shows that 50% of first-time users visited the safe sex information section of the site, staying for about 3 minutes on average.

K-Generation's founder, Neil Almond, told Reuters Health that the online format got safe sex messages through to young people who weren't listening to campaigns by government and others.

"Only 12% of people who visit the site think that government education measures are working. They're not effective with young people," he said.

"The game is far more successful than our wildest hopes," he added. "These results clearly show that the right medium can really help get safe sex messages to young people."

Forty-eight percent of users said they would engage in difficult issues--like AIDS or drug use--online that they would avoid in "real life."

"And the beauty of this sort of work is that it's viral," Almond said, saying that 90% of users said they would recommend the site to their friends.

Stephen Twigg, UK minister for Young People and Learning, welcomed the report.

"This game is first for safe sex education. It shows how new media, and a fun approach, can reach young audiences," he said.

"Governments around the world can never stay still on a subject as important as HIV ( news - web sites)/AIDS, and this game offers a way forward."

[greydog]

"The game is far more successful than our wildest hopes," he added. "These results clearly show that the right medium can really help get safe sex messages to young people."

Hey, if it's for the children, it must be good. Click on hyperlink to view this garbage:

http://www.SuperShagLand.com

[SpottedBeaver]

Was this part of the game?

I thought it was funny that this image came up when I clicked on the article. :)

[Odyssey-x]

This thing is soooooo fantastically awful it makes me want to puke. It's basically politically correct pornography targeted at children. Even at that it looks like a badly done toy project, that there is a wire story about it is even more pathetic. Freaking counterculture...

[Dianna]

Ok, now I need someone to tell me how to delete this from the history thing under my address bar.

[ladyinred]

Redd Foxx comes to mind:

"It's the big one Elizabeth!"

I can't believe this, all we were told was some birds and bees hokey story.

[Dianna]

Hmm, thought I posted my opinion of this piece of trash...

First of all, when you get to the first screen you have the option to click on either "about us", "game" or "F*CK ME" (would THAT be where they've hidden their "safe" sex info? No wonder it's so popular.)

Then you can choose to be male or female and you decide if you would like to have sex with a male or a female. And if you're REALLY lucky maybe you'll find one of those nice Viagra pills. Of course, you must avoid the Nun...

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I got all the way to level six, which was where my boy was supposed to be, and it said I was too drunk! (I did kinda run into all the bottles) and didn't let me even see the boy! I got all the condoms too!

I've been robbed.

[Dianna]

Well, I got all the way to level six, which was where my boy was supposed to be, and it said I was too drunk! (I did kinda run into all the bottles) and didn't let me even see the boy! I got all the condoms too!

Me too! I didn't run into all the bottles though...I got stuck in a vat, I think. LOL! I think it's all a big scam.

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL! - So nobody has won this thing? - Dang. I'm gonna go play again.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I am not haven't much luck with this thing... but give it a whirl! I am goin' to bed.

[goldstategop]

Hmm... I think NOW doesn't like this particular site cause women still can't act like men. A woman's worth waiting for. If you folks are still stuck on level one, you came to the right place.

[Persuasion]

And the beauty of this sort of work is that it's viral,"

The beauty of this this is that it's viral... I wonder if he thinks AIDS is also beautiful.

[goldstategop]

Never get into something with someone unless you're sure you want it. Sex comes with risks and the more you're aware of them the less likely you're to shack up with someone because your hormones are running high instead of being completely committed to each other.

[Gophack]

This is so ridiculous. But what do you expect from the far left who want to tear down every social norm and nicety of Christian society? So, it offends everyone -- Catholics, Christians, parents, anyone with any semblance of moral virtue. And it's geared to young KIDS ... most teen-agers and college students I know don't still play video games, it's the pre-teen crowd.

[Persuasion]

Never get into something with someone unless you're sure you want it. Sex comes with risks and the more you're aware of them the less likely you're to shack up with someone because your hormones are running high instead of being completely committed to each other.

I agree completely, and my fiancee (as of last month) and I agreed long ago never to shack up and to save sex for marriage :). We've been quite happy with that decision. I'm a little confused as to why you're saying this to me, though...