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Nail polish to prevent rape?

Listen up, ladies! You may soon be able to buy nail polish that detects date-rape drugs.

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Listen up, ladies! You may soon be able to buy nail polish that detects date-rape drugs.

Students Tyler Confrey-Maloney, Stephen Gray, Ankesh Madan, and Tasso Von Windheim of North Carolina State University have developed Undercover Colors, a nail polish that changes color when it comes in contact with common date-rape drugs.

Using the nail polish, a woman can check for the drug by stirring the drink with her finger. If the polish changes color, then the drink is spiked.

“While date rape drugs are often used to facilitate sexual assault, very little science exists for their detection.  Our goal is to invent technologies that empower women to protect themselves from this heinous and quietly pervasive crime,” the group stated on their Facebook page.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five women are raped in their lifetime. More than one in three of those rapes occur when a women is 18 to 24 years old.

With this rampant rape culture currently poisoning our society, products are being created left and right. While many are applauding the male creators of the nail polish, others are questioning whether or not these kinds of products are actually helping.

Women are already expected to work hard to prevent themselves from becoming the victims of sexual assault. They’re told to avoid wearing revealing clothing, travel in groups, make sure they don’t get too drunk, and always keep a close eye on their drink. Now, remembering to put on anti-rape nail polish and discretely slip a finger into each drink might be added to that ever-growing checklist — something that actually reinforces a pervasive rape culture in our society,” ThinkProgress said.

Undercover Colors is still in development.

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