The Women Behind Controversial At-Home Rape Kits Speak Out

Products like the MeToo Kit generated a media firestorm, but founders say they can empower victims

A mockup of what the Me Too Kit could look like, according to a previous version of the company’s website. Credit: MeToo Kit

Two startups have pulled back on marketing at-home sexual assault evidence collection kits after being hit with legal threats. The companies’ founders maintain that the at-home tests could provide an alternative to sexual assault forensic exams given in hospitals and other health facilities in cases where victims don’t feel comfortable going to a health care provider or can’t immediately reach one.

“We believe that it should be a survivor’s right to capture this evidence in the comfort of their own home,” Madison Campbell, founder of the New York–based MeToo Kit, told OneZero in an interview. “We believe this product has the potential to empower survivors.”

Critics, however, say evidence from commercial at-home rape kits are unlikely to be acceptable in court and could even deter sexual assault victims from seeking proper medical care. The DIY rape kits are just the latest in a wave of at-home tests, from tests for urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections to consumer DNA tests. The explosion of offerings isn’t surprising: At-home testing offers affordability, convenience, and privacy and avoids the embarrassment…