Govt plans to distribute condoms at Commonwealth Games meet

Anticipating that there might be a different kind of sport between men and women on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the government is planning to distribute free condoms at the games village, venues, hotels and other areas.

National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) secretary K Chandramouli said condoms will be given to players and team officials to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Apart from this, automatic condom vending machines will be also kept at venues and the games village. A condom can be bought with a Rs5 coin. About 200 condom vending machines are expected to be put up during the Games, dispensing roughly one lakh rubber sheaths.

Naco is preparing to install vending machines in rural areas and at PDS shops under its condom social marketing programme (CSMP). The CSMP-III plans to distribute about 480 million condoms through 8 lakh outlets in 370 districts.