Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sarah Weisiger on June 25, 2010 at 7:26am

According to Mother Jones Magazine: "South Africa has the highest rape rate in the world: One in four men there admitted to raping someone, and the country's current president has even stood trial for the crime. It's in this hostile environment that the Rape-aXe was created..."

And from CNN:
Critics say the female condom is not a long-term solution and makes women vulnerable to more violence from men trapped by the device. It's also a form of "enslavement," said Victoria Kajja, a fellow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the east African country of Uganda. "The fears surrounding the victim, the act of wearing the condom in anticipation of being assaulted all represent enslavement that no woman should be subjected to."

I think the Rape-AxE condom is a good solution along with self defense.

Permalink Reply by Amy on June 25, 2010 at 9:08am

My concern is that this will motivate them to find yet another way to exert power and control over women... which could potentially be worse than rape (it's hard to imagine something worse than rape, I know). My understanding of rape is that it's not a sexual issue, but a control issue. I'm not saying the Rape-Axe condom is a bad idea... only that the rage and need to exert power and control is NOT going to go away. This, in fact, could spark a new wave of increased violence. There are other horrific things men can do to a female besides raping her vaginally. My concern is that this will only escalate the root issue (rage, power, and control), and even more women will be hurt or killed.

Permalink Reply by Sandy on June 25, 2010 at 9:32am

I hadn't thought about that. I guess if these things become widespread, rapists will just stop attempting vaginal rape and go for oral or anal (though there's always the risk from teeth with oral sex).

But as far as making things worse if a man does get caught in the trap, here's a Q&A from the RapeAxe website:

"What is the possibility that the rapist would kill his victim?"

Regrettably, You are always at risk being killed by your assailant, Rape-aXe will buy you time to get away,( I know this from a patient that caught him self in his zipper. Rape-aXe will have the same effect just worse.) Luckily rapists do have brains they loose it for a few moments, when their blood rush to a certain body part, after that he will realize that is tagged and he knows he will be in double trouble should he kill you.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on June 25, 2010 at 9:46am

It gives them a chance to get away? I thought it stuck the rapist inside the toothed condom? Or does the condom come off and it's stuck on the rapist?!

Permalink Reply by Sandy on June 25, 2010 at 9:58am

Yeah -- i think so. Otherwise it'd give new meaning to 'doggy style'.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on June 25, 2010 at 10:29am

I wonder if this would make them "more likely" to kill their victims, though. Traumatic situations are known for inaccurate memory. If anything he'd just lash out at all women...but the men could also be so traumatized that they'd just crawl away and hide.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on June 25, 2010 at 8:03pm

There's also the issue of this becoming like a "chastity belt", as me and my sister were discussing, where it's not about protecting the woman so much as preventing her from sexual rights, especially in countries like this one where a woman's sexuality is clearly not entirely her own possession.

And of course, this could be potentially used as abuse against men.

Permalink Reply by Sandy on June 25, 2010 at 9:35am

I really don't get the enslavement argument. It sounds like she's saying anything women do to protect themselves is a form of slavery. I wear flat shoes so I can run if I need to. I didn't realise they were enslaving me.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on June 25, 2010 at 10:29am

If that was true, it would be true of all people, not just women, and locks and burglar alarms would also be slavery!

Permalink Reply by Sarah Weisiger on June 26, 2010 at 8:45am

I think the enslavement comment meant enslavement to the fear women have of violence being enacted on them. If 1 in 4 men in South Africa admit to raping a woman then those women are enslaved to the fear of men.

Permalink Reply by Sandy on June 26, 2010 at 7:43pm

I think doing nothing to protect yourself is true enslavement. True, you can't control all the risks, and this new condom might result in increased violence in some situations -- you just can't predict every possible eventuality, and if you do you end up paralysed by indecision. If women carried guns or knives to protect themselves, there'd be a risk that the weapon could be turned against them, but some women might think it was worth the risk. It's really up to them to judge.

I welcome this invention as a weapon that women can use to fight back with if they choose the use it.

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