think about it! it would be so easy to tell when someone has an std, and there would be no need for any tests. you could take it from all sorts of people and have the peace of mind that comes with knowing whether they have barnacles or not.

it would also be much less complicated than it is now. in today's non-barnacle era, there are a million stds that you have to worry about. in a barnacle-infected society, you either have barnacles, or you don't.

however, all of these upsides do come with their respective downside, as with all things in life. barnacles would probably be a lot more painful, or at least uncomfortable to live with, assuming that these barnacles are chronic. but why are we considering them to be chronic? barnacles in the real world are very easily treatable when it comes to creatures with a hard exterior- just scrape them right off and bob's your uncle! i feel as though that barnacles could be easily treatable for us, even considering our pudgy, soft flesh. it would likely take some more serious surgery, but they would still be easy to remove if not for some nerve or tissue damage.

would you have to get rid of them though? eventually, your pain tolerance would likely grow to the point that you don't even recognize the barnacles, just as creatures in the real world do today. if your partner (or partners, the Barnacle Society doesn't discriminate!) is(are) okay with it, barnacles could definitely be a nice customization feature! you could get them painted or hang jewelry from them, just to name a few potential personalizations. body modification is the future, and barnacles would be an extremely good catalyst for young whippersnappers getting into the field.

this short essay largely serves to get your mind out of the box and start considering the possibilities. i know that, with enough support, we can get elon musk and the rothchilds to get this working. stay crusty!