Unbelievable number of condoms ordered for Rio Olympics

New Delhi: The Olympic Games are set to open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 and will go on till August 21. During the 17-day event, around 10,500 athletes from all around the world would showcase their skills. The organising committee of the Rio Olympics has been working round the clock for the last couple of years to arrange everything that is required for the successful conduct of the Games. However, there is one form of arrangement that may surprise you. Keeping in mind athletes’ and staff’s safety, the organizing committee have ordered 4,50,000 condoms, along with 1,75,000 packets of lube, according to a report in scoopwhoop.com. Out of the 4,50,000 condoms, a total of 350,000 will be for the male athletes while the rest 100,000 for the female athletes. If we divide the condoms by the number of athletes, it is around 42 condoms per athlete! To put this mind-boggling piece of information into perspective, around 45,000 free condoms were distributed during the Sydney Olympics in 2000, more than 90,000 condoms were distributed during 2008 Beijing Olympics and this is more than 3 times the number of condoms given out during London Games in 2012. The Games have a reputation of ‘one giant orgy’, as a certain athlete put it, but the reason of such a massive order could be the outbreak of deadly Zika virus in the region. This virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, can also be transmitted through intercourse. The Zika virus can cause microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with undersized brains and skulls. It’s always better safe than sorry!