Starpharma partners with Ansell to provide Australian Olympics athletes Zika virus-proof condoms

Members of Australia’s Summer Olympic Games contingency for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games would get more than just good wishes and prayers from Australians when they compete. The Aussie athletes would also get double protection from sexually transmitted diseases and the Zika virus.

Reuters reports that the Australian Olympians would receive condoms that would ensure them twice the protection from the Zika virus in Brazil which has just been proven by scientists to cause birth defects. It would be Starpharma Holdings, an Australian pharmaceutical company, and Ansell, the number two condom manufacturer in the world, which would make the condoms.

The Ansell “Dual Protect” condoms would be lubricated with VivaGel, made by Starpharma. The gel provides almost 100 percent anti-viral protection against Zika and other viruses, according to laboratory studies.

With 80 days to the summer games, the Olympic village in Rio de Janeiro already got shipment of 350,000 male condoms and 100,000 female condoms to be made available to the athletes for free at dispensing machines found on every block. The World Health Organisation and national health ministries advise athlete to use condoms.

While the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is sending the Aussie delegations the double protection condoms, South Korea is giving its athletes uniforms infused with insect repellent to keep away the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus.

AOC head Kitty Chiller says, “The health and well being of the team comes first, and our association with Starpharma will provide extra protection for everyone on the team,” quotes Gizmodo.