Playing safe: 150,000 condoms will be given out to athletes and entourages at the 12-day Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer

• Athletes and team staff will stay at three sites across the city for summer event
• Birmingham City Council told 50,000 condoms made available to each campus
• Around 11,000 competitors and officials expected to arrive for 12-day event
• It means each athlete and team staff member will be handed roughly 11 each

Athletes and their entourages will be handed 150,000 condoms at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

Around 11,000 competitors, physios, coaches and other team officials are expected in the city for the event running from July 28 to August 8.

They will stay across three sites – student halls at the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick and the NEC Hotel Campus.

A Birmingham City Council health and social care overview and scrutiny committee meeting yesterday was told 50,000 condoms will be made available on each campus – equivalent to nearly 11 per person for the 12-day competition.

Dr Karl Beese, the council’s commissioning manager for adult public health services, said ‘it isn’t such a big figure’.

He told councillors: ‘We have met with the Commonwealth Games organising committee around contraception and the signposting to services and what we have found is predominantly, it’s for the athletes and the team entourages where contraception is required.

‘There was an expectation of 50,000 condoms across the three Commonwealth Games sites. so 150,000 in total.

“So there won’t be any issues in terms of supply and we are due to meet in the very near future with Pam Venning – who is the chief medical officer in charge of the Commonwealth Games from that side of it – just to make sure that we can signpost into Umbrella services if need be, or into an Umbrella pharmacy etc.

‘So that is all being worked on, but I must admit when they say “can we have 150,000 condoms?” it makes you realise the extent of it.

An artist’s impression of the Alexander Stadium, which is expected to be completed in the spring, in time for the Games

An artists impression provided by Birmingham City Council of the Alexander Stadium, home to track and field events during the Commonwealth Games later this year

Condoms provided to athletes and team entourages at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China

A total of 50,000 condoms will be handed to each of the three sites being used as a base for the teams – student halls at the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick and the NEC Hotel Campus

The newly filled swimming pool at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Birmingham, pictured last month

‘But in fairness, there’s about 11,000 athletes and team members arriving, be that coaches, medical staff etc, so once you break it down that way, it isn’t such a big number.’ 

Condoms are regularly handed out at major sporting events, with 160,000 distributed to competitors at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

Ahead of that event, though, the International Olympic Committee warned competitors not to break social distancing guidelines, which included having safe sex.  

Organisers have said it is ‘still too early’ to say whether the athletes will receive a similar warning for Birmingham. 

Pam Venning, head of medical for Birmingham 2022, said: ‘We are continuing to monitor the situation closely in regard to Covid 19, working with health experts and national authorities, to ensure we all have robust measures in place so that together we can deliver a safe Games.

‘The Birmingham 2022 guidance on Covid will be confirmed much closer to the start of the Games in July, as it needs to be based on what the national and international situation is at the time.’

She added: ‘The provision of contraception for athletes and officials is an entirely standard and responsible practice.

‘This replicates what has been done by a huge number of major multi-sport events on many occasions in the past. We are currently in discussions with a potential sponsor about the provision of contraception.’

Birmingham City Council has said funding for the condoms would not come out of the finances for the day-to-day sexual health services run for the city.

A spokesperson said: ‘The provision of contraception for athletes and officials is an entirely standard, safe and responsible practice – and replicates what has been done by major multi-sport events on many occasions in the past.

‘This is led by Birmingham 2022 working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Public Health Teams across the footprint of the Games, and is separate to the regular council-funded sexual health services.’

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