An Olympic first: Female condoms at the Paris Olympics 2024 

Since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, condoms have been as much a part of the games as medals and world records. With athletes buzzing with adrenaline and testosterone, it’s no wonder they need a way to blow off steam. (Just kidding - the condoms are meant for athletes to bring back home and raise awareness about STDs.)

This year, the Paris Olympic Village is distributing 300,000 condoms to 10,500 athletes — a whopping 28 condoms per athlete! They also come in nicely designed packaging featuring The Phryges — the official mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympics — alongside captions such as, ‘No need to be a gold medalist to wear it!’ and ‘Don’t share more than victory, protect yourself against STDs’. With a mix of playful phrases and important reminders, the Olympics are striving for safe and consensual sex. 

While the number of condoms distributed doesn’t break Rio’s record set in 2016, this year, for the first time ever, 20,000 female condoms and 10,000 dental dams are being given out as well.

Most of us haven’t seen a female condom before, let alone used one, so let’s break them down for you. Typically made from nitrile, they are soft, loose-fitting pouches with a flexible ring at each end. One ring is inserted into the vagina to hold the condom in place, while the other remains outside, covering the external genitalia. The internal ring is squeezed and inserted into the vagina (kind of like a tampon). Once inside, it opens up and stays in place, covering the cervix.

Now, the big question is: Are they better than male condoms? Well, that depends. Female condoms are slightly less effective than male condoms; while male condoms prevent pregnancy 98% of the time, female condoms only offer 95% effectiveness. They’re also slightly pricier and harder to find. However, if you manage to get your hands on one, we hear they come pre-lubricated - promoting not just safe, but pleasurable sex as well. You can also wear them hours before you have sex, leaving room for more surprise and spontaneity.

That being said, the Olympics have long championed safe sex (if you can’t stop them, at least make sure they’re being smart about it, right?) Although the intimacy ban has finally been lifted this year, the “anti-sex” cardboard beds that were rolled out in the Tokyo Olympics remain.

Anyways, whether the athletes are using condoms in the Village or not is beside the point. What matters is that the Olympics deserves some credit for its efforts and commitment to promoting sexual health and safety. By distributing condoms and fostering open conversations about safe practices, the Games are setting an example of prioritising its participants’ well-being.