Don’t be surprised if you start seeing women at parties sticking their fingers in their drinks in the near future — they are just testing out the anti-rape nail polish they are wearing. 
This anti-rape nail polish, which is called “Undercover Colors,” is a product created by four male undergraduate students from North Carolina State University. These students created a startup company to help sell their anti-rape nail polish. The nail polish changes colors when it comes into contact with common date rape drugs: Rohypnol, Xanax and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (commonly referred to as GHB).
This isn’t the first product created to help women in the fight against sexual assault. One example is The Guardian Angel necklace, which is designed to make a woman’s phone ring or text a friend at the push of a button.
There is also AR (anti-rape) Wear, which is a fashion company that creates clothing that can’t be torn or ripped off one’s body. AR Wear’s page on indiegogo.com describes the clothing as “wearable protection for when things go wrong.”
And there lies the underlying problem with all these products: they have to exist because things will go wrong.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, every two minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted, 80 percent of the victims are under 30 years old, 60 percent of the assaults are not reported to the police and 97 percent of rapists will not face any jail time. These harsh and disheartening facts are things that women, especially young women on university campuses, must face everyday.
And that’s why companies like Undercover Colors exist — because for some reason, our society has yet to teach people that raping someone is unacceptable.
At the University of Idaho, freshmen are required to finish the Think About It program by Nov. 2, or they will receive a hold on their student account. The program aims to “help new students examine the interconnected issues of substance abuse, sexual violence and healthy relationships.” Additionally, sexual harassment, sexual violence and rape are outlined in the Student Code of Conduct as a violation. But apparently this is not enough to stop sexual violence from happening on our campuses.
I advise young women to take advantage of these types of preventative measures if they feel the need. Because no matter how much we educate our young men and women, there will still be people out there who attempt assault or rape.
Should we have to have these products? No, these should be unnecessary and ridiculous in our society. But unfortunately, universities have yet to find a way to stop rape culture and teach our younger generations that rape is wrong, no matter the situation.
There are things we can do as students to help bring awareness to rape culture among our peers.
Don’t be afraid to point out victim blaming in the news. Notice when the media asks questions like, “What was the victim wearing?” or, “Were they drinking alcohol before or during the time of said rape?” or “Where was the victim’s friends or significant other?” The answers to these questions should not validate the rape.
Question your views on masculinity — what makes a man a man or a woman a woman? Ask yourself, is masculinity inherently violent? Pay attention to male and female characters on TV Are these reachable standards?
Always make sure you have consent or have given your consent when in a sexual situation. Remind your friends that consent is sexy and it’s the only thing that allows you to have sex with someone. Also, consent that is given under the influence of alcohol is not consent.
Lastly, don’t laugh at rape jokes. It may seem like innocent fun and of course not everyone is a rapist. But studies have shown that many rapists believe that their actions are normal. A member of your social circle might think that those actions are acceptable, and making jokes about rape only validates their beliefs.
Sadly, it may be years before rape statistics lower and products like Undercover Colors’ anti-rape nail polish are not necessary, but until that day it’s up to us to educate our friends about rape to prevent sexual assault on campus.
Danielle Wiley can be reached are [email protected]