Paris Olympics To Hand Out 300,000 Condoms To Athletes, But Why?

Months ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024 the authorities have lifted the intimacy ban and have stocked 3 lakh condoms for the athletes. While it has perplexed many individuals it is for a different cause. Olympic village's director Laurent Michaud has confirmed these reports as well.

In 2020 when the pandemic hit us, the Olympics took place in Tokyo, Japan in 2021 were the 'Intimacy Ban' was put in place. This ban imposed several restrictions on players and the spectators. The players were not allowed to meet their competitiors 14 days before their arrival and during the games and even after the 14 days of their arrival. All the players were requested to maintain a distance of six and a half feet of distance between them. They were also kept under medical eyes for the duration of the games with regular check ups and sanitization. Spectators were told not to vocalise their cheer but instead just clap during the games.

Raising Awareness

The distribution of condoms during Olympics has been an ongoing practice and, "The distribution of condoms is not for use at the athletes' village, but to have athletes take them back to their home countries to raise awareness [of HIV and AIDS]," the Olympic organisers mentioned to Reuters. The athletes are expected to take these back to their home country and raise awareness for HIV and AIDS. 

The director of the  Olympic village in Paris also mentioned about other facilities that will be provided to the athletes during the games. He mentioned how they built a sports bar for extra comfort of the players. "But it's going to be a great place so they can share their moment and the environment here. No champagne in the village, of course, but they can have all the champagne they want to in Paris," he said. 

After the news went viral, netizens could not keep calm and assumed the worst off instead of actually knowing about the awareness campaign at large. Some commented, "Why do they need condoms in an Olympics event?", "What happens in olympic village, stays in olympic village." It is ironical how the entire campaign of giving condoms to athletes is for raising awareness about HIV and AIDS yet social media users are completely unaware about it.