IN SHORT: A claim that sex has been declared a sport in Sweden has been circulating online and reported by news outlets. But this is not true.
Numerous social media posts circulating in South Africa and Nigeria in June 2023 claim Sweden has declared sexual intercourse an official sport.
Some posts also claimed the northern European country was set to host a sex tournament on 8 June, with "sexthletes from around the world taking part”.
Other posts claimed to show the sex tournament in progress on TV.
News outlets, including South Africa’s Independent Online (IOL), also reported that the tournament coincided with Sweden registering sex as an official sport.
"Sex tournament: Sweden becomes the first country to make sex a sport" the IOL headline reads. The article appears to base its claims off of reports from Radio Mirchi, a radio station based in India.
The Swedish Sports Confederation, called the Riksidrottsförbundet in Swedish, is the central organisation for sports in Sweden. It is responsible for promoting and developing sports activities throughout the country.
Have they or other credible sporting organisations in Sweden declared sex a sport and communicated about a sex tournament as claimed? We checked.
Swedish Sports Confederation confirms claims are false
German media outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) spoke to Anna Setzman, spokesperson for the Swedish Sports Confederation, who told the publication that both claims were false.
DW traced both claims to a strip-club owner who "wanted sex to be classified as a sport" and whose attempt to have his federation registered with the Swedish Sports Confederation failed.
Circulating image not of sex tournament in progress
A reverse image search of the image posted widely reveals that it first appeared online in 2004 as part of an advertising awards entry for the Trojan brand of condoms.
The image was used out of context and does not show a sex tournament taking place in Sweden.
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