Anti-Rape Condom?
I’m not exactly sure how this thing works just yet, but I do think it’s an interesting invention.
KLEINMOND, South Africa (Reuters) - A South African inventor unveiled a new anti-rape female condom on Wednesday that hooks onto an attacker’s penis and aims to cut one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.
Nothing has ever been done to help a woman so that she does not get raped and I thought it was high time,” Sonette Ehlers, 57, said of the “rapex,” a device worn like a tampon that has sparked controversy in a country used to daily reports of violent crime.
Police statistics show more than 50,000 rapes are reported every year, while experts say the real figure could be four times that as they say most rapes of acquaintances or children are never reported.
Ehlers said the “rapex” hooks onto the rapist’s skin, allowing the victim time to escape and helping to identify perpetrators.
“He will obviously be too pre-occupied at this stage,” she told reporters in Kleinmond, a small holiday village about 100km (60 miles) east of Cape Town. “I promise you he is going to be too sore. He will go straight to hospital.”
The device, made of latex and held firm by shafts of sharp barbs, can only be removed from the man through surgery which will alert hospital staff, and ultimately, the police, she said.
It’s hard to tell from the picture how this thing would work, but it sounds like a good idea, especially in places in Africa where rape is common. Obviously, there are other controversies surrounding this female condom. The article mentions that getting a bunch of sharp barbs stuck in his penis might enrage the man more, and thus cause more physical harm to the women. Other critics say the condom is medieval and barbaric. Well, yeah. But how else does a women stop a man from raping her?
What do you think about this situation? Good idea, bad idea?
Does the manufacturer need to do product testing before putting it on the market? Any men want
a piece of barbed wire in your penis to make sure the product is, um, safe?
Comment by Kim — 9/2/2005 @ 2:03 pm
so does the female wear this 24/7 to ensure they wont get raped? or does the male who rapes wear this, so he screws himself over?
i just dont get how this will work. if you are getting raped, im not sure you really have time to get one of these on.
Comment by Neill — 9/2/2005 @ 7:40 pm
I’m obviously not a chick but who would wear this everday unless
you plan to get raped??? But I guess it is a good idea Tim beware!!
Comment by tulsa — 9/2/2005 @ 11:27 pm
They should pass these out in prison, too. Right, Neill?
Comment by Heraldblog — 9/3/2005 @ 7:08 am
yep.
Comment by Neill — 9/4/2005 @ 10:12 pm
Think that will fit in my butt? Tulsa seems to visit a lot..
Comment by Dirk — 10/8/2005 @ 10:08 am
Hey all, I did get be-dazzled (a common word our spirit team uses for being tricked) into trying
one of these thing out. They are not as comfortable as they look in the pic!!! Anyways,
just give me a little holler if anyone else is the catcher or pitcher, because I attempted both
ways and inside-out and DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT. It really made me not want to have sex
ever again; usually I’m a little animal (they call me the gag-uar)!!
Comment by Little Tim — 11/9/2005 @ 4:42 pm
real nice dirk!!!
Comment by Tulsa — 11/10/2005 @ 12:23 am
Erm… Sharp barbs near genitals. Isn’t there risk of it harming the woman?
Comment by Evanomano — 8/24/2006 @ 8:47 pm
how do this things work by the way ? they sound just impossible to user?!
Comment by mr c — 8/25/2006 @ 5:21 pm
I was just thinking we as women needed something maybe this is it, maybe not. If it hygenic and comfortable enough I guess it should be worn when ever you are vulnerable to being raped. Where would you get one to try it out any way? By the way I dont know the logistics of it just yet but if they want it in prison I say it should be available! why should they be allowed to be raped just because they were convicted of a crime that could be as petty as shoplifting and just happen to be weaker or smaller than other people? As for being barbaric it isn’t as barbaric as someone who goes around raping others!
Comment by Jan — 10/4/2006 @ 3:06 pm
The attacker may well bleed once “hooked.” Won’t the women be risking AIDS?
Comment by Burke — 5/19/2007 @ 3:16 pm