1069

First off: no. This is not a joke.
Rapex is a female condom that a woman wears inside her vagina like a tampon.
Inside it are rows of hooked barbs that stick into the flesh of a man's penis, causing excrutiating pain, and must be surgically removed.
Theoretically, this will force the rapist to seek immediate medical treatment, thus identifying himself as a rapist so that he can be apprehended by the authorities.
A prototype of this device was launched in 2005, and mass production was set to begin in April 2007. I do not have word as to whether production began on schedule, or was postponed due to widespread controversy over this product.

Detractor's arguments include the suggestion that the product is merely vindictive and punitive, and does not in any way serve as a prophylaxis or deterrent against rape, since attackers cannot tell beforehand whether a woman is wearing one (Rapex does, apparently, protect against sexually transmitted disease, functioning like an ordinary barrier contraceptive in this regard).
Concerns have also been raised that under certain circumstances, this product could be used as a weapon to seriously injure an innocent man.

The product was invented by Sonette Ehlers, who works for the South African Institute for Medical Research, and has counseled rape victims for the past twenty years.
Her inspiration for developing this product, apparently, was a rape victim Ehlers counseled, who lamented the fact that her vagina didn't have teeth.

So, what do you think about this?
Good idea or bad idea?
Bad idea in the US, good idea in third-world countries, where rape is a commonplace and socially-accepted occurrence and where women have no official recourse?

link

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Felicity

That looks like it could cause some serious damage!

I don't see any problem with it if it makes a woman feel "safer." It doesn't stop the initial penetration, but it would cut the rape short, I believe. Couldn't it also incite anger in the rapist who might retaliate even more violently? I don't know....seems like a dangerous chance to take if you really think you may be a victim of rape, wouldn't mace, or a taser work better?

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1069

My concern, which I hadn't seen voiced in any of the articles I read, is that if it causes the attacker to bleed, it could potentially be putting the victim at even more serious risk of HIV infection.
I understand this device works as a barrier contraceptive... but with or without such a barrier, who wants a potentially HIV-positive rapist bleeding inside their vagina? Especially in South Africa, where the AIDS rate is astronomically high?

But, like you, I feel that if it makes women feel safer and more empowered, go for it.

Felicity

That's a good point too.

RightinNYC

There were stories about this thing a couple years ago. It seems fatally flawed and unlikely to ever catch on.

1) Who would walk around with an uncomfortable female condom on at all times?
2) Wouldn't something like a tazer be more effective?
3) From it's shoddy looking design, it seems unlikely that it will actually work as they claim it would.
4) It would probably result in a skyrocketing number of attempted-rape-murders

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Felicity

#1 Women walk around with things in the "place" all the time. Tampons, Diva Cups, Insteads... You don't really feel it...I've never tried a female condom, but maybe it is different if part of it is on the outside (which I assume it might be).

#2 I agree, but hey...if it makes her "feel" safer--that's the goal.

#3 To me, it looked like it would latch on to the guy and leave the woman's body with him. I didn't think it looked so "shoddy" but I know nothing about female condoms as I said.

#4 Yeah...the "murder" part is the thing I think could result as his anger could explode due to unexpected pain.


PLUS--what stop a rapist from commanding her to take out the contraption before he rapes her? He's already attempting to control her through attempted rape--it would be just one more thing he could demean her with.

Still...if it makes the woman feel safer whether it works or not....I don't see a problem.

Tashah

Hmm. This possibility might convince a rapist to indulge in a butt-fvck. All things considered, a taser is a more suitable self-defense option.

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1069

Haha... you could stick one up your arse as well, I s'pose. Then you'd be truly well-defended.
Hey, maybe men ought to wear one too.
Of course, if rapists started to get the idea that people were wearing these things, they might stick their finger in first to check; then, only their finger would get "bitten".
Or, they might even stick some other object in beforehand, like setting off a bear-trap with a stick.

Yeah, I was going to mention that.
You can't really feel objects once they're inside, unless part of them is hanging out.
(Men are so clueless).
This device is apparently entirely internal.

Felicity

Hey...RightinNYC...do you know what DivaCup or Insead are? I won't even get into Ben Wa Balls...

1069

Or a diaphragm, or a cervical cap, ect.