A survey among Scandinavian athletes revealed that 22% of Norwegian athletes avoid intimate relationships to reduce the risk of accidentally consuming banned substances.
A survey was conducted anonymously by the Norwegian broadcaster NRK in collaboration with broadcasters from neighboring countries (SVT – Sweden, Danmarks Radio – Denmark, Yle – Finland) from September 23 to October 7, 2025. It involved 184 athletes from the Olympic teams of four countries in winter sports.
According to the results of the study, every fifth Norwegian athlete (21.9%) sometimes avoids sexual contact, while another 10.9% do so on a regular basis.
On average, in other countries (Finland, Denmark, Sweden), these figures are lower: 14.3% reported that they sometimes avoid intimacy, while 10.4% do so always.
More than 60% of all surveyed athletes also reported that they refuse to take dietary supplements, certain medications, cosmetic creams, and ointments to minimize risk.
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