Rape-ax: condom with teeth
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She is a primal fear of the man: the vagina with teeth. Sigmund Freud even gave this symbol of castration panic a Latin name: vagina dentata. In the future, the myth could become a painful reality for some men. Soon the anti-rape condom Rape-ax will be launched worldwide. His weapons: small, razor-sharp barbs that lock in as they penetrate the genital area of the rapist.
For what appears to the man in nightmares is a dream for some women. "I wish I had teeth down there," once said a girl who had been raped, to Sonette Ehlers. This sentence gave the South African woman the idea of developing a utensil that, to a certain extent, repulses in the event of rape. In 2005, the first prototype was ready, starting in October 2009, Rape-ax will go into production in Malaysia.
How does Rape-ax work?
A rape ax is made of plastic and works much like a femidom, a condom that is inserted into the vagina like a tampon. Inside the rape-axes are barbs made of hard plastic. If a man tries to rape the woman, the barbs are boring into the penis. This is not only very painful for the man, but also revealing: Because the little teeth do not release the genitals automatically, only a doctor can free the rapist of Rape-ax - and then call the police.
At the same time, Rape-ax protects the woman from pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. South Africa, home to Sonette Ehlers, not only has one of the highest rape rates in the world (around 50,000 are registered each year), it also fights massively with the spread of HIV. Every third woman between the ages of 20 and 34 is infected with the virus in South Africa.
Can the woman injure herself with Rape-ax?
According to Sonette Ehlers, there is no danger for the woman to injure herself on the dentate condom. She could carry Rape-ax in the body for up to 24 hours without unpleasant consequences. By the way, the man does not have permanent injuries.
And what if the rapist goes crazy trying to kill the woman?
Unfortunately, the risk exists with every rape, answers Sonette Ehlers on the often expressed criticism. But the moment of shock was beneficial for the woman: While the man is still writhing in pain, she could take the opportunity and flee. In addition, Ehlers points to the deterrent effect: The more women protect themselves with Rape-ax, such as when they go out in the evening or enter dangerous areas, the more men would shrink from rape.
The women's rights organization Terre des Femmes, which invited Sonnets Ehlers to present their product in Berlin, views the concept of Rape-ax quite positively. "We know that sustainability changes only a little if society changes too," says Serap Altinisik of Terre des Femmes. "Nevertheless, we are very curious how the anti-rape condom will affect the perpetrators of violence and whether for the time being can be a preventive measure to protect women from rape. "
When women can buy Rape-ax in Germany, is not yet known. Discussions with sales partners are already under way, but first priority is given to the African countries. Sonette Ehlers hopes for the highest possible sales in order to be able to offer the rape protection as cheaply as possible.
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