Maker of Rape-aXe Dr. Sonnet Ehlers could be the female condom with jagged teeth in an attempt to cut down on sexual offenders in South Africa, a nation with one of the worst rape rates in the world. Ehlers, who’s sick and tired of seeing numbers of rape victims pouring in, has decided to give away thousands of the “condom with teeth” devices in cities close to where the World Cup games are taking place</p>
Sexual violence in South Africa
Ten years ago, a survey done by CIET Africa, a non-governmental organization, revealed the surprising truth about sexual violence in South Africa. One in every three women questioned within the survey said they had been a victim of rape over the past year. BBC News reports that more than 50,000 cases of sexual crimes are reported to authorities each year. That number, nevertheless, is only a fraction of the actual figure of assaults made against women.
Rape-aXe, the condom with teeth
. Inside the machine are lined rows of jagged teeth-like hooks that latch on to a man’s penis during penetration. Dr. Ehlers said that once the system is hooked on, only a specialized doctor can remove it. She hopes it will help cut down on sexual violence.
“It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it’s on,” said Ehlers. “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.”
Putting a stop to sex crimes
Dr. Sonnet Ehlers plans to distribute 30,000 of the female condoms with teeth, Rape-aXe, entirely free of charge. The latex machine will sell for $ 2 apiece, once the trial period is over. Ehlers, who mothers two kids, said she visited various penitentiaries to speak with convicted rapists to find out whether such a device would have made them rethink their actions. Various of them said it definitely would have.
Additional reading
CNN
cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/20/south.africa.female.condom/index.html
