Put a whole bunch of athletes from around the world together in one village, add in some alcohol and raging hormones and you’ve got a recipe for some interesting times in any “Olympic Village.” However, with the 2016 games taking place in Rio, and the recent outbreak and spread of the Zika virus, there is an increased level of scrutiny on the activities of athletes.
Most important, the safety and health of athletes and apparently for the Australian Olympic Committee that also includes finding ways to combat sexually transmitted diseases along with the deadly Zika virus.
They’ve come up with a way to distribute anti-viral condoms to the athletes heading to Rio, according to a report by ABC News.
The report indicates that condoms containing Vivagel, an anti-viral agent, will be given to the athletes in the hopes of curbing the chances of the disease being spread amongst the athletes in Rio. It appears the idea came about thanks to the Aussie’s having teamed up with pharmaceutical company Starpharma.
“The health and wellbeing of the Team comes first and our association with Starpharma will provide extra protection for everyone on the Team, and is a common sense approach to a very serious problem we are facing in Rio.”
Most national Olympic committees are hip to what happens in those athlete villages, and most provide plenty of safety measures for things like STD’s and other issues that could arise from “extra-curricular” activities if you will.
What makes the issuing of these condoms unique is that the active gel in them appears to have a very good track record with not only the Zika virus, but other STD’s as well.
According to the ABC News report:
The condoms have already been found in laboratory settings to inactivate HIV, genital herpes and the human papillomavirus, according to Starpharma, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Vivagel. The company also said they gel has shown to provide protection against the Zika virus in laboratory studies.
The biggest issue with the spread of the Zika virus is that is has been linked to severe birth defects in children of infected mothers. Perhaps the most concerning is a condition called microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small brain and head in the baby.
Just last week, the World Health Organization issued a warning that any pregnant women should not attend the games in Rio out of concern for the spread of the virus to them. The WHO also advised those who attend the games to abstain from sex or use a condom for four weeks after attending the games to avoid the spread of the virus outside its current locals.
Some female athletes, including USWNT goalkeeper, Hope Solo, have taken careful consideration to playing or not in these Olympic games. It appears she will attend, but is planning to spend her time in her own hotel room out of fear for the virus.
[ABC News]
