South African Anti-Rape Condom

[Satyagraha]

This is taken from the Yahoo! Site. I am currently in China, so I don't have much access to other American news sources but I did read this today. What do you think?

"KLEINMOND, South Africa (Reuters) - A South African inventor unveiled a new anti-rape female condom on Wednesday that hooks onto an attacker's penis and aims to cut one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.

"Nothing has ever been done to help a woman so that she does not get raped and I thought it was high time," Sonette Ehlers, 57, said of the "rapex", a device worn like a tampon that has sparked controversy in a country used to daily reports of violent crime.

Police statistics show more than 50,000 rapes are reported every year, while experts say the real figure could be four times that as they say most rapes of acquaintances or children are never reported.

Ehlers said the "rapex" hooks onto the rapist's skin, allowing the victim time to escape and helping to identify perpetrators.

"He will obviously be too pre-occupied at this stage," she told reporters in Kleinmond, a small holiday village about 100km (60 miles) east of Cape Town. "I promise you he is going to be too sore. He will go straight to hospital."

The device, made of latex and held firm by shafts of sharp barbs, can only be removed from the man through surgery which will alert hospital staff, and ultimately, the police, she said.

It also reduces the chances of a woman falling pregnant or contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases from the attacker by acting in the same way as a female condom.

South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country, with one in nine of its 45 million population infected.

Ehlers, who showed off a prototype on Wednesday, said women had tried it for comfort and it had been tested on a plastic male model but not yet on a live man. Production was planned to start next year.

But the "rapex" has raised fears amongst anti-rape activists that it could escalate violence against women.

"If a victim is wearing such a device it may enrage the attacker further and possibly result in more harm being caused," said Sam Waterhouse, advocacy co-ordinator for Rape Crisis.

Other critics say the condom is mediaeval and barbaric -- an accusation Ehlers says should be directed rather at the act of rape.

"This is not about vengeance ... but the deed, that is what I hate," she said."

[Seeker]

I've read an English version of Xinhua on the web and it seems very similar to FOX, Miami Herald , or New York Times. The only times there are different stories are when the US and Chinese governments don't agree on something (Taiwan mostly).


About the article: the men are still getting off easy.

No pun intended.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

but not yet on a live man.

Who's going to volunteer for that?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Sounds like a step in the right direction, but I know for a fact that South African culture is very misogynist. What's the usual punishment down there for rape? If it's anything less than death or dismemberment (And I'm not talking arms and legs...) then maybe they should look into that as well.


Other critics say the condom is mediaeval and barbaric -- an accusation Ehlers says should be directed rather at the act of rape.

What the FUCK? I can't believe people are actually defending rapists.

[Commandante_Ant]

Could this work? I'm not sure. It is an idea on how to combat violent assualt in S.A but is it the right idea?

I do not defend rapists, they are the lowest of the low. just how much would these cost? it must be mechanical if it latches onto the skin. If this costs a lot of money, how many South African ladies will be able to buy it? Will the working class be able to buy it? Of course, no live male will act as a guinea pig...try it on a mannequin or dummy. surely it'll have the same effect on a man as it does on a dummy.

It could very well work...but we'll have to wait and see.

[Seeker]

surely it'll have the same effect on a man as it does on a dummy.



Spoken like a true feminist.

[Commandante_Ant]

I'm a guy, i'm not a feminist. But surely you would be able to tell from the damage it does to the dummy that it would do the same or worse on a man.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

A guy can be a feminist. And what does what C. Ant said have to do with feminism?

[TalMarsh]

How can you accept such a thing?

I really don't think sovling such a terrible problem of rape crimes can be done by another evil and heinous thing!
It's like giving people more guns so they could "defend" themsevles - it doesn't give a real solution to the problem!


Originally posted by Dr King
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth...

[rev]

A feminist is simply a person who thinks that women shouldn't be excluded out of certain things in life- whether it's the ability to get a job, vote, or have her own bank account without requiring her father or husband approve of it. A feminist is a person who believes female workers who are doing the same job at the same quality of work should get paid just as much as a male. Yes, truly horrible!

And just in case anyone wonders what this thing looks like: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/antirape-...5302668132.html (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/antirape-condom-unveiled/2005/09/01/1125302668132.html)

[Dark Exodus]

Saw something about this a while back, personally I think it shoulden't need to be used in the first place...

[Jae iLL]

How about women who "hate men" and use this contraption for all the wrong reasons?? Even if it IS used in self-defense, how much blood is that woman going to be exposed to? Aren't there high numbers of HIV infected men down there?

I don't think it's a good idea, because how is this REALLY supposed to help defend a woman who's being raped? I think it would be used more to attack men, then defend from them.

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by TalMarsh+Sep 1 2005, 01:39 PM--> (TalMarsh @ Sep 1 2005, 01:39 PM) How can you accept such a thing?

I really don't think sovling such a terrible problem of rape crimes can be done by another evil and heinous thing!
It's like giving people more guns so they could "defend" themsevles - it doesn't give a real solution to the problem!


Dr King
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth... [/b]
Got another solution?

Or could you quote a non-bourgeois source?

[Dark Exodus]

The rapists will probably find a way to stop it from working or a countermeasure, or they will just hurt their victims in other ways. This may make the rapist more violent.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Other critics say the condom is mediaeval and barbaric [-- an accusation Ehlers says should be directed rather at the act of rape].


I agree. But perhaps we live in "medieval times", and perhaps the world is barbaric. Sometimes we have to use barbaric methods in order to protect ourselves from a barbaric world.

[TalMarsh]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2005, 08:07 PM
Or Got another solution?

Or could you quote a non-bourgeois source?
So violence is your solution? How does amplifying hatred help achieve anything?
Who cares whether he's bourgeois or not - he's premise is right.

And you wanted a quote? Here you go Ernesto Guevara said:

At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that a true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.

We're nowhere if hatred is what guides us. Be it vengeance and animosity that lead us, we'll achieve nothing - or even worse, a horrible machine would be created that'll not actually replace the omnipresent system of power and greed!

[BuyOurEverything]

Overall, I'd say this could be a usefull tool, but far from a solution. What really needs to be changed is the attitude that contributes to all the rape. However, if guys are scared of getting metal barbs stuck in their dicks, I'd say that would tend to lower the amount of rapes.

What did set off some alarm bells, however, was the comment about how it could put the woman in further danger. This is very possible, once a guy realizes what has happened, I could easily see him just killing the victim or some such thing. But I don't really know.

Jae iLL: Wow, I didn't know Fox News was actually selling brains now, how's that working out for ya?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

What if women abuse the penis killer? IE trick a man to sleep with her, only to serioulsy abuse and even damage his penis?

[Seeker]

There is nothing wrong with being a feminist, I just thought that line was amusing. If you read it a certain way, he is calling men "dummies". I know it was not meant that way, but it still make me smirk.

Got irony?

[JC1]

What if women abuse the penis killer? IE trick a man to sleep with her, only to serioulsy abuse and even damage his penis?

I doubt this will happen (Rape is a serious byprouduct of Capitalism whereas, "Man-Hate" is just a myth thats been cooked up the establishment to make Patriarchy look positive). And even if it did, it would be a small price to pay to prevent the spread of aids and the violence against our sisters in suth Africa.

[Redmau5]

Anyone else think the name "rapex" is a bit crude? :blink:

[Commie Girl]

I think its an excellent idea, to be used while people try to change the culture in places like South Africa.

[Jae iLL]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2005, 08:20 PM
Overall, I'd say this could be a usefull tool, but far from a solution. What really needs to be changed is the attitude that contributes to all the rape. However, if guys are scared of getting metal barbs stuck in their dicks, I'd say that would tend to lower the amount of rapes.

What did set off some alarm bells, however, was the comment about how it could put the woman in further danger. This is very possible, once a guy realizes what has happened, I could easily see him just killing the victim or some such thing. But I don't really know.

Jae iLL: Wow, I didn't know Fox News was actually selling brains now, how's that working out for ya?
Because women would actually use this in the wrong way? I'm not the only person who has thought that could easily happen. WTF does that bullshit channel have to do with anything?