In an endeavor to cut down on sexual molesters in South Africa, a country with one of the worst rape rates in the world, creator Dr. Sonnet Ehlers is giving away a female condom with jagged teeth called Rape-aXe. The doctor, who’s fed up after watching floods of rape victims pouring in, can be giving away thousands of the “condom with teeth” devices during the World Cup</p>
The rape problem 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 each and every three women questioned in 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 figure, nevertheless, is only a fraction of the actual number of assaults against women.
Rape-aXe, the condom with teeth
. Lined inside the system are rows of jagged teeth-like hooks that latch on to a man’s penis upon penetration. Once the gadget is firmly hooked on, only a specialized doctor can remove it, said Ehlers. She is hoping it will help reduce the number of sex crimes within the nation.
“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.”
Rape-axing sexual violence
Dr. Sonnet Ehlers is planning to distribute 30,000 of the female condoms with teeth — Rape-aXe — for free. The latex device will sell for $ 2 apiece, once the trial period is over. Ehlers, who mothers two children, said she visited a number of penitentiaries to speak with convicted rapists to find out whether such a system would have made them rethink their actions. .
Additional reading
CNN
cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/20/south.africa.female.condom/index.html
