Brittany Jerlat

 

South African Dr. Sonnet Ehlers has created what she sees as a new weapon of defense for women against what is said to be one of the highest rape rates in the world. The device is Rape-aXe, a female condom with "teeth." The hooks inside are designed to latch on during unwanted penetration so that, “it hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it’s on… 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 has said that she has spoken to convicted rapists who have said that they would certainly have rethought their actions if they had known about Rape-aXe at the time of their crime. She hopes that when the device is removed (as it can only be by a doctor) there will be police on hand to arrest the perpetrator, establishing a punishment for a crime that has tended to remain normalized in South Africa and many other African countries.

Critics are saying that Rape-aXe would be another form of “enslavement” for the women wearing it, and that the device could in turn generate more violence for victims—or even death. It also has the potential to give women a “false sense of security,” or on the flip side, more of an overarching fear and anxiety that they will be assaulted.

Regardless, 30,000 of these free devices are being dispersed under supervision in South African cities during the World Cup games going on right now.

For more info, check out the article on CNN, or even Ehlers's website.

[image and info: CNN]

Tagged in: World Cup , teeth , South Africa , Rape-aXe , rape , female condom , africa   

The opinions expressed on the BUST blog are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the position of BUST Magazine or its staff.



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jodi sh doff
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written by jodi sh doff, June 21, 2010
This is insane. The assumption is that rape is premeditated, that it's a crime based on logic. It's not. If a rapist sticks his penis in a woman and is caused pain, if he pulls it out and sees she's responsible for that pain, she better damn well have a gun and have it ready and cocked. Women are lucky enough to escape with their lives in a rape situation as it is. And even that is not always the case. But this is just asking for trouble - any woman would be crazy to use it. I appreciate the intent, but the end result would only be worse for the woman involved.
Nissa
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written by Nissa, June 21, 2010
i think they proved this thing didn't work years ago, when it was called rapex. imagine trying to get it out of yourself. ugh.
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written by JulietX, June 21, 2010
I recently wrote an article about Rape - aXe and its strange ups & downs here: http://www.associatedcontent.c...html?cat=5
Yvette Madelaine
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written by Yvette Madelaine, June 21, 2010
i'm with you Jodi. I really can't see this resulting in anything but further violence to the woman concerned. A personality that rapes is not going to retreat upon being caused pain by this device; i'd think if far more likely they'll go ape-shit crazy with rage at being thwarted and inflict further damage, or worse
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written by Ivanova, June 22, 2010
Jodi, I understand your point of view. However, I think that the creator of this device had the situations of her native continent in mind. If that is the case then a significant portion of the rapes would be premeditated as rape is used as an act of war in several countries in Africa (it was also used extensively during the Kosovo atrocities). Soldiers often rape women with intent, it is not a spur of the moment decision. These devices may not be as applicable to say college campuses.

That said, I do agree with you and Yvette that it brings along the risk of further violence.

But maybe these devices at least give the women a fighting chance?
Chelle F.
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written by Chelle F., June 22, 2010
Personally, I see it both ways here. From reading this article, Ehlers intentions are to help the female victim. However, I also agree with everyone's personal opinion. I am a personal rape victim. My first one occured when I was 8 yrs old. I'm 34 yrs old now. Even though I was rape 2 more times when I was 13, then again when I was 15 and my last one when I was 29, the mental and emotional pain I suffered from, and continue to suffer from, one has to believe that there is something out there that could help raped victim woman. This is why I have to be opened minded and see both POV's; PRO's and CON's. Just my two cents and something personal I wanted to share.
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written by Christin, June 24, 2010
I can't help but disagree with everyone. Sure, it's possible that a women using one of these might get a more violent reaction from her attacker, but that's like saying using pepper spray to protect yourself might get a more violent reaction from an attacker (or any other kind of weapon). Any kind of attempt a rape victim makes to protect herself is probably going to make her attakcer more violent, but does that mean she should lay down and take the abuse? I'd rather make every attempt to protect myself or die trying. I think women should have he right to protect themselves from such an awful crime with whatever means necessary. Besides, something like that might shock/startle a guy enough to create enough of a chance for his victim to get away.
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written by Amy H, June 24, 2010
Personally, I think this is a great idea for Africa. There, rape is practically a fact of life, this device gives women a chance to fight back. I also think many people are over stating the danger of escalated violence. If your being raped, chances are your already being hit and brutalized in a non sexual way. But the average man crumples like a wet tissue when any kind of force is used on his genitals. What rape victim wouldn't say that if her attacker had been debilitated for even a second she wouldn't have used that opportunity to escape?
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written by newyorkette, June 24, 2010
I have to admit whenever I hear someone say they'd rather "die trying" to fight off a rapist, I think of how Lucrece (in Roman times) declared before killing herself in front of her father, "let no woman ever outlive her shame," making life even harder for any raped woman who survived her rape, by putting her virtue and willingness to be raped in question. If someone's going to die in a rape attempt, it should be the rapist. We should "rather kill trying."
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written by Shannon Cannings, June 24, 2010
I agree that in some cases, it will incite more violence in an attack. However, because it has to be surgically removed, it WILL bring rapists into the open. There is a problem, not only with the number of rapes, but the acceptance of it in the society, and the unwillingness of the authorities to prosecute offenders. In a society where sexual abuse is lowered to a "women's issue", perhaps the introduction of a men's medical issue will change the way they view rape.
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written by coffeegirl18, June 24, 2010
The idea of normalizing rape bothers me. What about normalizing procedures to report a rape or heck maybe even a Safe Walk program to prevent violent crimes. I mean if aid people stopped throwing money at countries and helped organize to an actual social program with members of a community than maybe the high rape numbers would decrease.

Fact is in countries with arranged marriages rape has been accepted...as well as other types of abuse.
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written by Paquette, June 24, 2010
There is no assumption of premeditation that I can see. An opportunistic rapist will suffer from this thing as much as a calculating rapist will. Also, there is not just one personality type that rapes, so any and all reactions are possible. Yes, some rapists who find themselves in the grip of this Rape-axe thing might become enraged and lash out further at the woman they are raping. They might do that if she fights back in ANY WAY, though. Are we going to discourage all methods of self-defense in the vain hope that cooperating with one's rapist improves one's chances of survival, or are we just going to oppose those methods of self-defense that require vaginal insertion?
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written by antoniarocks, June 24, 2010
I guess women have to wear it all the time, just in case. How often can you safely leave it in? If women have it in for long periods of time I could imagine that they would be more likely to forget about it ... then, they might have consensual sex and inadvertently hurt their loved on. So many things to think about.
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written by Carlie, June 24, 2010
I think people aren't actually reading this article. For one, it's a deterrent, so that's great. For two, this thing is pretty genius--a rapist has to go to a doctor to have it removed. He can't remove it himself. What an excellent way to incapacitate a rapist, give the victim time to run away, and then force the rapist to have to give himself away as a rapist.
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written by Sarah M, June 24, 2010
Innovative, I'll say that. But I fear that in the wrong hands this might be used to control women even further. A woman might be forced to wear it by a jealous lover in an attempt to deter cheating or by a father looking to preserve his daughter's purity. It's a modern-day chastity belt, so to speak. . .and it doesn't make us free; it holds us prisoner.
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written by Stephanie T, June 25, 2010
It's interesting how the implications of this device are so different in a western context versus the south african context. I, personally, don't see it as really serving much more purpose than punishing the rapist, as it is only going to change anything once the rapist is already penetrating the victim. So it's not like it's going to make it any less traumatising for the victim. And with the risk of escalating the violence of the situation, I'm not sure it's any more useful than wearing a female condom.

I'm curious as to more details of how it works? Could rapists who are aware of the device potentially just pull it out first?
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written by wait..., June 25, 2010
I actually read a story one time about a girl in high school who seduced a special needs kid while she was wearing one of these, and he got in trouble for rape, although it was her who had initiated the sex.

How come no one has mentioned the possibility of a woman wearing one to intentionally accuse a man of a crime he did not commit, in an act of revenge or bitterness?
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written by think about it, July 28, 2010
pepper spray, stun guns, a small knife, in wars when filthy soldiers used to rape women from other countries, most women would place razors up their stuff to hurt the attacker, it can work or it can piss them off more, but who would not try? You can not blame a doc for thinking of something when there is not much already out there for protection. If someone is going to rape you, they are going to do it if they can and women have to be prepared not lay like a helpless dog, i rather fight them let that happen. maybe if the doc adds an electric shock when the teeth grab on then we have a great chance.
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written by ChuckFromAl, November 02, 2011
I believe this poses an additional danger to women as it will likely make the rapist more angry and violent. Maybe if it was equipped with a fast acting medicine that would knock the rapist out then it would work.

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