South African Doctor Invents Spiked Female Condom to Prevent Rape

Inspired by a rape victim she encountered over 40 years ago, South African doctor Sonnet Ehlers has invented a female condom armed with sharp hooks to protect women from rape.

Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line the inside of the condom and attach on a man's penis during penetration. The idea for the anti-rape device came from a woman Dr. Ehlers meet when she was a 20-year-old medical researcher.

"She looked at me and said, 'If only I had teeth down there,'" recalled Ehlers. "I promised her I'd do something to help people like her one day."

Dubbed the Rape-aXe, women insert the latex condom like a tampon. Ehlers is currently distributing the female condoms in the various South African cities where the World Cup soccer games are being played. She plans to distribute 30,000 free devices under supervision during the World Cup.

Once the device latches on to the penis it can only be removed by a doctor. The hope is that when a suspect arrives to have the condom removed he’ll be arrested.

"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she told CNN.com. "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."

To make sure the device was safe for women Ehlers said she spoke to countless experts.

"I consulted engineers, gynecologists and psychologists to help in the design and make sure it was safe," she said. "The ideal situation would be for a woman to wear this when she's going out on some kind of blind date... or to an area she's not comfortable with."

A mother of 2 daughters, Ehlers even visited prisons to get the input of convicted rapists. Many of them said such a device would make them think twice about committing a rape.

After the trial period, the condoms will be available for $2 a piece. She hopes that there will be plenty of feedback from women on the product.