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Olympian Sex? Athletes To Use 100,000 Condoms
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But because of the likelihood factors, she said there's a strong likelihood that there's a lot of activity. She also said it likely varies by subculture: that certain sports have different language, behavioral, and even sexual norms.
Even though there's no proof, and the condom stat is often met with laughter, health officials are probably on the right track. In addition to the STI issue, it's probably not a great idea to end up with a baby boom nine months from now, even though those kids would be ridiculously genetically gifted.
What's arguably more fascinating about this story than public health issues, STI rates, hook up rates, or even unwanted pregnancy rates, is why the public is so interested in it.
"People like the story of athletes and sex," says Matthews. They're "titillated" by the idea, especially because it all happens behind closed doors.
That plays into the way "media uses sexuality, creating it as mysterious, taboo and exciting. Who doesn't want a part of that? Sexual imagery in the media is almost exclusively young, fit people," so "athletes are sexy by definition."
She thinks people are also interested in sex stories because in general, when it comes to sex, people "somehow feel as though they are missing out on something. Sex has been sold to us as this incredible experience, and I think most people's human, messy, less-than-explosive experiences just can't live up to those expectations."
They grab on to stories like the supposed athletes' sex party because "people want to understand if they are 'normal'" so information they glean from other people's stories, becomes the bar they compare themselves to. Whether or not those stories are true.
"It is ironic that we live in such a sexually explicit culture and yet know so little about sexuality."
Vanessa Richmond is an AlterNet contributing writer.
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