( CNN ) -- South African Dr. Sonnet Ehlers was on call one night four decades ago when a devastated rape victim walked in . Her eyes were lifeless ; she was like a breathing corpse . `` She looked at me and said , 'If only I had teeth down there , ' '' recalled Ehlers , who was a 20-year-old medical researcher at the time . `` I promised her I 'd do something to help people like her one day . '' Forty years later , Rape-aXe was born . Ehlers is distributing the female condoms in the various South African cities where the World Cup soccer games are taking place . The woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon . Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line its inside and attach on a man 's penis during penetration , Ehlers said . Once it lodges , only a doctor can remove it -- a procedure Ehlers hopes will be done with authorities on standby to make an arrest . `` It hurts , he can not pee and walk when it 's on , '' she said . `` If he tries to remove it , it will clasp even tighter ... however , it does n't break the skin , and there 's no danger of fluid exposure . '' Ehlers said she sold her house and car to launch the project , and she planned to distribute 30,000 free devices under supervision during the World Cup period . `` I consulted engineers , gynecologists and psychologists to help in the design and make sure it was safe , '' she said . After the trial period , they 'll be available for about $ 2 a piece . She hopes the women will report back to her . `` 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 , '' she said . The mother of two daughters said she visited prisons and talked to convicted rapists to find out whether such a device would have made them rethink their actions . Some said it would have , Ehlers said . 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 . '' Kajja said the device constantly reminds women of their vulnerability . `` It not only presents the victim with a false sense of security , but psychological trauma , '' she added . `` It also does not help with the psychological problems that manifest after assaults . '' However , its one advantage is it allows justice to be served , she said . Various rights organizations that work in South Africa declined to comment , including Human Rights Watch and Care International . South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world , Human Rights Watch says on its website . A 2009 report by the nation 's Medical Research Council found that 28 percent of men surveyed had raped a woman or girl , with one in 20 saying they had raped in the past year , according to Human Rights Watch . In most African countries , rape convictions are not common . Affected women do n't get immediate access to medical care , and DNA tests to provide evidence are unaffordable . `` Women and girls who experience these violations are denied justice , factors that contribute to the normalization of rape and violence in South African society , '' Human Rights Watch says . Women take drastic measures to prevent rape in South Africa , Ehlers said , with some wearing extra tight biker shorts and others inserting razor blades wrapped in sponges in their private parts . Critics have accused her of developing a medieval device to fight rape . `` Yes , my device may be a medieval , but it 's for a medieval deed that has been around for decades , '' she said . `` I believe something 's got to be done ... and this will make some men rethink before they assault a woman . ''
Doctor distributes anti-rape female condom during World Cup . Score: 6 Device can only be removed by a doctor . `` It hurts , he can not pee and walk when it 's on , '' doctor says .