The Female Health Company Reports:
FEMALE CONDOM IS CITED FOR ITS GROWING IMPORTANCE IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS
CHICAGO (December 06, 1999) – The Female Health Company (OTC BB: FHCO) announced today that third-party thought leaders are increasingly endorsing the use of the female condom as a viable choice in the global fight against AIDS. A report issued in London on World Aids Day by the International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) "warned that women and young people are at an ever increasing risk worldwide of contracting HIV/AIDS and called for intensifying measures to protect them." The report stated that "IPPF along with UNAIDS, WHO and other international organizations are encouraging the use of the female condom as a new method of prevention and as an additional tool to respond to the sexual and reproductive health needs of men and women."
The IPPF report further noted that this year has seen more deaths from AIDS than at any time since the start of the epidemic, which shows no sign of slowing down. Every day 15,000 more people get infected with AIDS and every 10 seconds an infant or young person is infected with HIV.
In a separate press release, UNAIDS cited some sobering statistics: To date, 50 million people have been infected by HIV of which 33.6 million are still alive. In 1999, 2.6 million people died of HIV/AIDS and 5.6 million were infected. In sub-Saharan Africa, 55 percent (12 million) of those infected are women. Life expectancy in Southern Africa, which had increased from 44 in the early 1950’s to 59 in the early 1990’s, is expected to drop back to 45 between 2005 and 2010.
Additionally, Marie Stopes International (MSI), a social reproductive health-marketing firm, announced it will soon launch the female condom as Femidom in Uganda to boost the anti-HIV/AIDS fight.
Prevention is the most important near-term factor in controlling this epidemic. The female condom and male condom are the only products currently available that help to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS through sexual intercourse.
The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, IL owns certain worldwide rights to the female condom including patents which have been issued in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the People’s Republic of China, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Australia. The female condom is the only product controlled by women that helps to prevent STDs including HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy. The female condom is made of polyurethane, which is strong and unlikely to rip or tear during use or cause allergic reactions. It is manufactured in a state of the art facility in London, England.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Action of 1995: The statements in this release which are not historical fact are forward-looking statements based upon the Company’s current plans and strategies, and reflect the Company’s current assessment of the risks and uncertainties related to its business, including such things as product demand and market acceptance; the economic and business environment and the impact of governmental regulations, both in the United States and abroad; the effects of competitive products and pricing pressures; currency risks; capacity; efficiency and supply constraints; and other risks detailed in the Company’s press releases, shareholder communication and Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Actual events affecting the Company and the impact of such events on the Company’s operations may vary from those currently anticipated.
For more information about The Female Health Company toll-free via fax,
dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter company code "FHCO."
Also, visit the Company's web site, www.femalehealth.com.
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Contacts: Investors Product Media
William R. Gargiulo, Jr. Mary Ann Leeper,Ph.D. Desta Davis
231.526.1244 312.280.1119 312.397.6070
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