"I guess some people are just more comfortable rolling the dice with their brains than I am..."

I feel the same way with people who take pharmaceutical anti-depressants.

>"Somehow I don't derive much reassurance from that."

If you live in a major urban area, and hang around in the right circles, it's very likely you can find a local party with which to partake, and thus get to take advantage of top-notch medical care in case of emergency (if that's your worry).

Agreed, you don't need to go to South America. Good luck