Rape-aXe, A Rape Prevention Condom That Attacks Male Genitals: Something To Know Before Sharing

Rape-aXe is a fascinating condom that is reported to attack the male genitalia if a man tries to force himself on a woman. It accomplishes this with internal teeth that clamp down and harm the penis as it attempts to enter the victim.

The brain behind this seemingly just torture device is Sonette Ehlers of South Africa, whose aim it is to distribute this to more than 30,000 African women who live in high-risk areas of sexual violence.

The story recently caught fire on social sharing site Cracker Daily, and since Inquisitr prides itself on investigating the validity of odd news posts, this one seemed like a natural candidate.

In just 24 hours, the Cracker Daily post had enjoyed more than 8,400 total shares on Facebook per online tracking site BuzzSumo, making it the second most popular news story about rape online.

But there is just one little problem with Rape-aXe, as it’s currently being presented by your friends and neighbors. It’s likely not going to happen.

That’s because the first and last time that this story showed up on a reputable news outlet, it was 2010, and CBS News covered it in a human interest piece.

At the time of the coverage, Ehlers was excited about moving to mass production soon and distributing within the next year.

The device, made of latex and held firm by shafts of sharp barbs, could only be removed from the man through surgery which would alert hospital staff and lead to an arrest (and a lot of pain in the process).

Fast forward five years after the fact, and Snopes notes that there has been no further movement on the story, nor any hint of it.

While the story could not be discredited as “False” the way so many viral posts are these days, this particular one had kernels of truth to it five years ago, but intent and reality are two different things.

What should you know before sharing on your own Facebook or Twitter page?

Know that it’s an idea that never came to fruition, nor is it likely to any time soon. Unfortunately, there have been a lot of excited women in particular who can’t wait to buy one of these rape-prevention condoms.

But unless said user plans on finishing the research and the move toward production, it’s not an option that is going to happen.

What do you think of the Rape-aXe idea? Do you think it should be made available? Sound off in the comments section.

[Image of Rape-aXe prototype from Snopes, linked above]