The Winter Olympics Ran Out of Condoms in Just Three Days

In just three days, the free condoms at the Olympic Village in Cortina have run out, according to Italian news outlet La Stampa. The news ironically comes on International Condom Day, which takes place annually on Feb. 13.

Since the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, free condoms have been provided to athletes at the Olympic Village in efforts to provide awareness surrounding sexually transmitted diseases amid the AIDS epidemic.

“The supplies ran out in just three days. They promised us more will arrive, but who knows when,” an anonymous athlete told La Stampa.

The number dwindled significantly for this year’s Winter Olympics though. After 300,000 free condoms were provided at the 2024 Paris Games, just 10,000 were distributed for the Milan Cortina Games this year. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, 450,000 condoms were provided.

There are significantly fewer athletes competing at the Winter Olympics in comparison to the Summer Games. About 2,900 athletes will take part in this year’s Olympics while there were over 10,000 competitors in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Additionally, many athletes are staying in Milan for their Olympic events, not in Cortina.

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