Olympics Organizers to Give Athletes Condoms in HIV Awareness Campaign

Organizers of next month’s Olympic Games in Tokyo plan to give out about 150,000 condoms. They've given out condoms at other Olympics in the past to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS.

This year athletes have been told to maintain social distancing, according to Reuters. Organizers are telling athletes they should take the condoms home and refrain from sexual activity in the Olympic village.

"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, Tokyo 2020 officials said in an email to the news service.

Athletes have been given condoms since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, according to Vice. Hooking up is nothing new for participants, especially in the age of apps like Tinder and Grindr. In 2000, the Australian organizers for the Sydney Summer Games ran out after athletes went through 70,000. They ended up ordering 20,000 more. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, 450,000 condoms were provided — including 100,000 female condoms.

However, athletes this summer are asked to follow strict social distancing practices — even having to eat alone instead of in planned dining halls.

Overseas spectators are banned from next month’s Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns. Attendees are asked to clap instead of cheer to help mitigate any potential coronavirus spread.

"Without the proper measures in place, it will only take one person to bring in the virus and spread it, especially in places like the athlete village," said Nobuhiko Okabe, an infectious disease specialist assisting Tokyo 2020 on its coronavirus measures, according to Reuters.

"We have to do what we can to make sure an outbreak doesn't happen, and we really need the cooperation of all the athletes and delegations to make this work," he said.