Australian Olympic Athletes Will Bring Zika-Resistant Condoms to Rio

By Kelly Faircloth | May 16, 2016 | 8:30pm

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Whenever the Olympics roll around, we’re treated to a round of stories about the wondrous hook-up scene at the Olympic Village and athletes’ outlandish condom consumption. It’s a real treat! But this year brings a downbeat twist: Some of those condoms are designed to be Zika-resistant.

The CDC has said that, beyond the mosquitos, Zika can be sexually transmitted. And so the Associated Press reports that Australian athletes will be prepared for their extracurricular socializing with special condoms:

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Australian Stock Exchange-listed Starpharma Holdings and Ansell combined to produce the Dual Protect condoms, which provide protection via the physical barrier and a lubricant that contains an antiviral agent that counteracts viruses that cause sexually transmitted infections.

Starpharma said in a statement its lubricant showed near-complete antiviral protection against Zika in laboratory studies.

“Our association with Starpharma will provide extra protection for everyone on the team, and is a commonsense approach to a very serious problem we are facing in Rio,” said the Australian Olympic Committee’s Kitty Chiller, reported The Age. Just a little something to remember if you happen to find yourself in the Olympic Village cafeteria one night, weighing your options.

The Australians aren’t the only ones concerned about Zika; South Korean athletes will arrive sporting uniforms infused with mosquito repellent. The CDC has recommended pregnant women steer clear. And just recently, the Harvard Public Health Review published a piece from Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa, arguing that the Rio games should be postponed or relocated.

Photo via AP Images.