Female Health Signs Agreement For India

Major Marketer Plans to Register and Market Female Condom

CHICAGO, 28 November 2001 – The Female Health Company (OTC Bulletin Board: FHCO) today announced that it signed an agreement with Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL), India’s largest male condom manufacturer. HLL also manufactures and markets a wide range of hormonal contraceptives.  The agreement was signed in London, at FHC’s manufacturing site for the Female Condom. 

“As FHC continues to expand the global market for the Female Condom, we recognize the fundamental importance of collaborating with partners who share our commitment of improving public health by providing high quality products. HLL has over 35 years experience in manufacturing and marketing contraceptives throughout India, and other areas of the world, and we look forward to working closely with HLL to make the Female Condom a reality for women throughout India ” said Dr. Mary Ann Leeper, president of the Female Health Company. 

HLL, a Government of India undertaking was established in 1966 to make superior quality male condoms widely available in India, now the world’s second most populated country with over one billion people. HLL has subsequently launched numerous brands of condoms and also manufactures oral contraceptive pills, intra-uterine devices, latex gloves, blood bags, shunts and sutures. 

With headquarters in Trivandrum in Kerala State in South India, HLL has several factories throughout the country. In addition, HLL has an extensive sales and marketing force throughout all of India with over 1,000 wholesalers and over 160,000 retail outlets for its products.  HLL is the largest supplier of male condoms in India, manufacturing over half of India’s annual male condom supply of one billion.

In addition to being the world’s second largest country, India also has one of the highest rates of HIV infection.  Over three million people are currently estimated to be infected with HIV. 

“HLL is India’s leading contraceptive manufacturer. We are well aware of the dual needs for high-quality contraceptives and disease prevention technologies,” said G Rajamohan, Chairman and Managing Director of HLL. “As an Indian company and as a partner with the Ministry of Health, we must provide women and men in India with the best reproductive health options available, and we believe that the Female Condom has to be an essential component of our activities and programs.” 

“We take great pride in our internationally recognized marketing programs. We are equally proud of our work with the Ministry of Health and local and international NGOs to ensure that HLL’s products are understood and actually used. We have become a leading social marketer in India of our contraceptive products, and we are eager to work with FHC to bring the Female Condom to Indian women and their partners,” Rajamohan continued. 

                FHC and HLL will develop a marketing strategy for the Female Condom in India and work closely with the Ministry of Health, the UN agencies and the wide range of community organizations to prepare for a successful introduction of the product and integration into existing reproductive health programs. Over time, the partners will also explore manufacturing options within India.   

“HLL is an ideal partner for us in India, as they have both manufacturing and marketing expertise. With them, we hope to quickly gain regulatory approval for introduction of the Female Condom to the Indian market”, Leeper said. 

UNAIDS supported studies show that when the Female Condom is available as an option, there is a significant reduction in the incidence of sexually transmitted disease (STD) compared to when only the male condom is available. Additional published research highlights that incorporating the Female Condom into prevention programs can be cost saving as it reduces the number of unprotected sexual acts, the incidence of STDs, and the costs related to treatment and care. 

The Female Condom is the only product controlled by women that helps to prevent STDs, including HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy. It is made of polyurethane, which is strong and unlikely to rip or tear during use and unlikely to cause allergic reactions. It is manufactured in a state of the art facility in London, England. 

The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, owns certain worldwide rights to The Female Condomä, including patents that 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. 

“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, dial toll-free via fax, 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter company code “FHCO.”  Also, visit FHC’s Websites at www.femalehealth.com and www.femalecondom.org and HLL’s website at www.hindlatex.com.

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Contacts:        Investors                        Business / Product               Global Program         

                        William R. Gargiulo, Jr.     Mary Ann Leeper, Ph.D.           Mitchell Warren

                        231.526.1244                      312.595.9123                           845.353.8298