This is the condom with teeth. It is a condom specifically made to protect women from rape. It is inserted like a tampon, and won’t hurt the girl, only her attacker. When the man thrusts into her, the condom clasps down and can only be removed surgically. It was invented by South African doctor Dr. Sonnet Ehlers, and it was inspired when the Dr. treated a rape victim who said sadly, ‘If only i had teeth down there.’ The condom is being given out in South Africa, and to women in the military.
The problem is that it sucks that the woman has to prepare herself to have this in her whenever she goes somewhere. I also wonder if there are studies out there about how useful this is in terms of (1) reducing rape {because I feel like the existence of this thing does not address the real causes of rape} and (2) helping people feel safer.
I just keep on thinking that even if the perp gets their penis attacked, the survivor STILL was sexually assaulted and went through a very traumatizing experience. Yes, it may be gratifying to many to cause pain to their perpetrator, but I can’t help feeling that if *I* had something like this during the times I was raped I would still be in the same place I am now.
I mean, I know South Africa is way different than the campus of Tufts University or the suburbs of New Jersey. But I just wonder…how useful is it? It sucks when we have to still resort to reactionary devices to handle rape; it makes me nervous…almost like are we giving up on addressing rape culture and preventing it from even happening? Are we sort of just implicitly accepting that it is going to happen and that we will just have to try and make due with living in a world where people are subjected to sexual violence?
Just a few thoughts. Not saying that this device is bad or anything. I am just…very curious about its accessibility and overall impact.
Woah, maybe this punishes attackers for violence, but what happens after the teethed condom clamps down on his junk? Making the victim’s body the means of punishment, causing the attacker agony, will make him direct rage and further violence at her. Maybe this bizarre device makes sense in an abstract “justice” sense, but if we’re more concerned about the wellbeing of the victim it makes no sense at all.
