The Condom Olympics, You Say?

I'm sure my former classmate and Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee would be proud to know that I'm publicizing this year's Miss Universe contestants and their participation at, yes, the Condom Olympics.

What does one do at the Condom Olympics? According to this PR Newswire press release, events included "tossing water-filled condoms to test their strength and playing 'Wild Fire Infection' games that demonstrate the serious side of HIV infection."

One of the games featured each of the contestants being asked to get signatures from the other contestants, but what they didn't realize was that the act of receiving signatures represented an act of sex. Later, some were told that they had been deemed "HIV positive" at the start of the game, meaning they had to track their signatures to find out how far the infection spread.

PSI (Popular Services International), a global health organization, designed the games as part of an HIV peer education workshop.

"Millions of young girls and women across the world look up to Miss Universe and admire the Miss Universe contestants," according to Ava Rampersad of PSI, as quoted in the press release. "Now, thanks to today's event, these women will be able to continue being leaders in their communities and around the world, educating young women on HIV prevention and helping them live longer, healthier lives."

The hope is that, following the Miss Universe pageant, the contestants can use the knowledge they acquired and their celebrity to act as YouthAIDS ambassadors in their respective countries.

Photo courtesy of PSI