South Africa: Doctor Invents Female Condom with 'Teeth'‎ ( Watch pics and Video )

Few dare confront it, yet the violating act of rape is still very much an aspect of every society. But for one South African doctor, something needed to be done -- and fast -- to stem the menace after her encounter with a rape victim.

She invented female condoms with "teeth". Four decades ago when Dr Sonnet Ehlers was reportedly on call at night, a devastated rape victim was brought in.

"Her eyes were lifeless; she was like a breathing corpse. She looked at me and said, 'If only I had teeth down there,'" recalled Ehlers, who was a 20-year-old medical researcher at the time. It was then that Dr Sonnet decided someday, she would come up with something to help fight rape, according to CNN.

Forty years down the line, she came up with a unique solution, worn by women like tampons -- the Rape-aXe. The device can only be surgically removed once it has lodged itself on the male genital, which will result in positive identification of the attacker and subsequent arrest.

The rapist in question will not be able to walk right or even urinate due to constant pain. If he tries getting rid of it, it will only get a tighter grip. However, the condom will not cause any serious harm like breaking the skin or giving way to the danger of any fluid exposure.

Dr Sonnet went a step further and consulted "engineers, gynaecologists and psychologists" to help make the design safe and not subject victims to HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. The anti-rape condom is now undergoing a trial period in South Africa, where it is distributed free to women, especially during the Fifa World Cup. Once the trial is over, it will be available on the market for $2.20 (Sh170).

A new anti-rape condom with teeth for women has been invented by Doctor Sonnet Ehlers:

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."

So will the razor sharp condom be the answer to rapists? Perhaps in South Africa, which according to Human Rights Watch has one of the highest incidence of rape in the world. A 2009 report by the country's Medical Research Council found that 28 per cent of men surveyed had raped a woman or girl, with one in 20 saying they had raped in the past year.

Some people see Dr Sonnet's innovation as welcome, since women have always taken drastic steps to ward off rape. However, critics are accusing Dr Sonnet of developing a medieval weapon in fighting rape. They are asserting that the device will only incite more violence against women since a man subjected to great pain might easily kill the woman wearing it, adding that the act of wearing the condom in anticipation of being assaulted represents enslavement that no woman should be subjected to.

Ms Rosemary Okello, the director of African Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC), a non-governmental organisation based in Nairobi, seems to agree. Speaking to the Nation Media Group's online publication, Africa Review, Ms Okello says "medical invention cannot be used to tackle a social problem", since this will not address say, sexual harassment. Then there are all those babies who are subjected to rape, but are still too young to wear the condom.

Ms Okello added that although the device had been developed in good faith, it was still gender and age biased. "What about men who are also victims of rape, and how many women will have access to it?" she asked. Like other lobbyists, she is instead rooting for more preventative and educational measures for both men and women, aimed at stopping sexual assault in the first place. At the World Cup, the world is watching to see if rapists will be deterred.

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Comment by Dr. Ray Blanchette on June 29, 2010 at 3:04pm: I think that this is a wonderful invention and should be distributed widely for free all over the African continent where rape is used as a tool of war and used to subjugate, infect with disease and destroy entire tribes and ethnic peoples. If they will not change their cultural frame of mind as it pertains to rape and the rights of women and the demeaning and objectification of women, then I agree absolutely, give women 'WAR P****'S'!!!. The vagina has been used as a weapon by women from the beginning of time anyway. I only have the concern that in America and other modern industrialized, commercial nations women will use this dick destroying condom against their partners because of cheating, or to claim rape falsely and maliciously. But knowing as I do the female organ a man in intimate, romantic, consenting sexual relations would clearly be able to identify a female condom. And if not, he should look before he leaps in anyway. Pass 'em out.

Comment by african queen on June 29, 2010 at 2:16pm: lolololololol good ideah

Comment by Reecie on June 29, 2010 at 2:06pm: I Love this idea if I had money like bill gates I would fund this so that every woman in the world have one. Give them to baby girls as well since they have the audacity to rape six month old babies since they think its a cure for AIDS. She should make it so that it would bite off the penis.

Comment by tiara tompkins on June 28, 2010 at 7:50pm: I think this is a step in the right direction. It may seem to extreme to some, but you have to think about how.many times women are taken advantage of and forced into sexual situations which they didn't agree to. I think that this condom can deter or make males to think clearly about their action. Cause they might get their manhood bite in the wrong way.

Comment by Natalie on June 28, 2010 at 1:36pm: I think they should add some sort of permanent dye as well so even if the man finds a way to remove it he can still be identified and any woman he has sex with (wife, girlfriend etc...) will know that he is a rapist.

Comment by Da GreyLion on June 27, 2010 at 10:51pm: This is great for women who have been, or have concerns about a sexual assault.But I can see this as a form of vengence to men by bitter or heartbroken women who may feel the need to hurt a man. Not that I condone couples that cheat but if a man decides to play the field who's to say the women won't use it on him to teach him a lesson about his cheating ways.

Comment by TALLZ on June 27, 2010 at 9:40pm: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOOLOLLOLOLOLOLLOLO, THAT IS A WICKED INVENTION!!!!! NO MEERCY!

Comment by Samantha Stallion on June 27, 2010 at 7:21pm: wow! This is insightful.

Comment by jacqueline murray on June 27, 2010 at 1:33pm: yes is a good idea it will possible that it will stop rape but when rape yhe woman and find out that he is stuck with that device he might want to harm her more than the rape knowing that the device is on her and another thing is it safe for a woman to wear it so another word that every time a woman go out does she have to wear tis device or how this work is it comfortabie to have in her all time they need more reserch but it is a good idea it will make a man to think twice about rape and it will be low on rape case

Comment by THE BLACK TERROR on June 27, 2010 at 12:20pm: Great idea, but let me play devil's advocate. What if these rapist start inserting objects to check for this device? Or what if a woman willingly has sex with a man while wearing the "rape-aXe'?