30,000 rape prevention condoms distributed for World Cup

[SplitDik (imported)]

We all know of this device, but I guess it is still an actively promoted product. Dr. Ehlers is giving away 30,000 free at the World Cup.:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06 ... tml?hpt=C2

CNN) -- South African Dr. Sonnet Ehlers was on call one night four decades ago when a devastated rape victim walked in. Her eyes were lifeless; she was like a breathing corpse.

"She looked at me and said, 'If only had teeth down there,'" recalled Ehlers, who was a 20-year-old medical researcher at the time. "I promised her I'd do something to help people like her one day."

Forty years later, Rape-aXe was born.

Ehlers is distributing the female condoms in the various South African cities where the World Cup soccer games are taking place.

The woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon. Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line its inside and attach on a man's penis during penetration, Ehlers said.

Once it lodges, only a doctor can remove it -- a procedure Ehlers hopes will be done with authorities on standby to make an arrest.

"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she said. "If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin, and there's no danger of fluid exposure."

Ehlers said she sold her house and car to launch the project, and she planned to distribute 30,000 free devices under supervision during the World Cup period.

"I consulted engineers, gynecologists and psychologists to help in the design and make sure it was safe," she said.

After the trial period, they'll be available for about $2 a piece. She hopes the women will report back to her.

It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on. If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter

"The ideal situation would be for a woman to wear this when she's going out on some kind of blind date ... or to an area she's not comfortable with," she said.

The mother of two daughters said she visited prisons and talked to convicted rapists to find out whether such a device would have made them rethink their actions.

Some said it would have, Ehlers said.

Critics say the female condom is not a long-term solution and makes women vulnerable to more violence from men trapped by the device.

It's also a form of "enslavement," said Victoria Kajja, a fellow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the east African country of Uganda. "The fears surrounding the victim, the act of wearing the condom in anticipation of being assaulted all represent enslavement that no woman should be subjected to."

Kajja said the device constantly reminds women of their vulnerability.

"It not only presents the victim with a false sense of security, but psychological trauma," she added. "It also does not help with the psychological problems that manifest after assaults."

However, its one advantage is it allows justice to be served, she said.

Various rights organizations that work in South Africa declined to comment, including Human Rights Watch and Care International.

South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world, Human Rights Watch says on its website. A 2009 report by the nation's Medical Research Council found that 28 percent of men surveyed had raped a woman or girl, with one in 20 saying they had raped in the past year, according to Human Rights Watch.

In most African countries, rape convictions are not common. Affected women don't get immediate access to medical care, and DNA tests to provide evidence are unaffordable.

"Women and girls who experience these violations are denied justice, factors that contribute to the normalization of rape and violence in South African society," Human Rights Watch says.

Women take drastic measures to prevent rape in South Africa, Ehlers said, with some wearing extra tight biker shorts and others inserting razor blades in their private parts.

Critics have accused her of developing a medieval device to fight rape.

"Yes, my device may be a medieval, but it's for a medieval deed that has been around for decades," she said. "I believe something's got to be done ... and this will make some men rethink before they assault a woman."

[Prudence (imported)]

I'd be concerned about the rapists taking instant revenge on the victim... ie: guy rapes girl, finds this painful thing around his penis, then beats the girl to a bloody pulp (or to death) in retaliation.

Of course if the threat of it it could make a criminal change thier mind about raping someone, it would be a good thing.

[kellyslarkin (imported)]

"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she said. "If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin, and there's no danger of fluid exposure."

I guarantee neither of those statements is true. I also don't see why it's not possible to remove at home by anyone possessing moderate intelligence and a pair of scissors.

I'm sure it would hurt like a bitch though. Might actually be kind of fun.

[SplitDik (imported)]

I guarantee neither of those statements is true. I also don't see why it's not possible to remove at home by anyone possessing moderate intelligence and a pair of scissors.

I'm sure it would hurt like a bitch though. Might actually be kind of fun.

Yeah, I always wonder about that too -- people do seem to go to the emergency room sometimes with something you expect they could figure out how to remove themselves.

But unless it is made of titanium or something, I would think you could cut through it and access the barbs.

[SplitDik (imported)]

I'd be concerned about the rapists taking instant revenge on the victim... ie: guy rapes girl, finds this painful thing around his penis, then beats the girl to a bloody pulp (or to death) in retaliation.

Of course if the threat of it it could make a criminal change thier mind about raping someone, it would be a good thing.

This is a constant debate, and I've argued about this before. I think it depends on your personality related to victimhood. The thing is that, especially in Africa, many rapes are already brutal -- they end up cutting off their breasts and such. So with my personality, I'd rather die knowing I fought back somehow than to die without fighting back at all.

But I would look at this like any self-defense weapon. Don't carry a knife or gun unless you are prepared to use it or take advantage of the moment to make an escape. Otherwise it is true that it can and probably will be turned against you.

Rapists ultimately are bullies and unfortunately bullies are good at figuring out who will or will not fight back. So someone like me never gets bullied because it is obvious I'm the type that would fight tooth and nail. But I understand that there are peaceful, passive, gentle people out there that simply don't have what it takes to resist violence.

In the end, with violent rape I think it is a gamble either way -- there are certainly many cases where vigorous defense allowed a person to get away and live. There are also many cases where being passive and compliant allowed a person to get away and live.