BEIJING - What are the Olympic athletes doing when they are not competing? If condom use is anything to go by, a number of the 10,500 athletes in the Olympic village are keeping fit in pairs. Unlike at the 2000 Sydney games, Beijing is not planning on letting the rubber johnny supply run out. The International Olympic Committee, UNAIDS, and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) are providing "100,000 condoms as part of a campaign on HIV prevention and anti-discrimination," reports Reuters.
"There are many young, strong, single people in the athletes' village and, like everywhere, some will fall in love or other things so we need to make condoms available," Ole Hansen, spokesman for UNAIDS China, told Reuters.
Condom manufacturers in China haven't let this initiative go unnoticed.
Elasun, for example, launched a Beijing 2008 marketing campaign with spots on the themes of archery, swimming, basketball and rings men, adapting the image of condom for each category. Also, for sale on various websites, but not official merchandise, are condoms depicting the five Olympics mascots.
As with other Olympic games, condoms will be available at medical centers at athletes' centers in Beijing, Qingdao, and Hong Kong. Out of respect to the many cultures and belief systems of the athletes, condoms will not be put in rooms. In the name of discretion, two condoms will be tucked into brochures on HIV.
"No one can see that you are carrying condoms to save any embarrassment," said Hansen.
"People are encouraged to take the leaflets and to take as many as they like. They can use them or take them home for friends and spread the knowledge and awareness."
Hansen told Reuters that the number of condoms is based on consumption at previous games. In Sydney, 70,000 condoms were quickly exhausted, according to Reuters, and another 20,000 were soon supplied. At Athens in 2004, 130,000 were supplied. At Salt Lake City in 2002, 100,000 condoms were distributed, down from the intended 250,000 due to protests from religious groups.
