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THE FEMALE HEALTH COMPANY REPORTS: South Africa Expands Female Condom Program to prevent HIV and other STDs CHICAGO, Mar. 27, 2001– The Female
Health Company (OTC BB: FHCO.OB) today
announced that it received an order from the National Department of
Health of South Africa for 1.4 million Female Condoms. Because
it has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world
– 4.7 million people, or one in every nine South Africans – South
Africa has initiated aggressive prevention programs, including one of
the largest and longest-running Female Condom programs.
South Africa first ordered 95,000 Female Condoms in 1996 to test
the trial use and acceptability of the product in several provinces.
Since then, South Africa has ordered more than 5 million Female
Condoms, including the current order.
“South Africa continues to be at the forefront of strategically
integrating the Female Condom program into HIV/AIDS prevention
strategies,” said
Mary Ann Leeper, PhD, president of Female Health Company. “We are delighted to
continue our collaboration with the national health department and the
Reproductive Health Research Unit to further education about prevention
and the Female Condom as a method to help reduce the risk of HIV
infection. “The
most recent HIV statistics released last week in South Africa highlight
the disturbing trend that women in their early 20s have the highest
infection rate,” added Leeper. “It
is precisely this audience that needs access to information, negotiating
skills and the Female Condom”. Based
on initial findings from early acceptability research, each of the
country’s nine provinces selected two to four demonstration sites for
Female Condom distribution. Extensive
training, monitoring and research of the initial pilot programs helped
identify attributes for successful introduction, which the Department of
Health is using to expand distribution programs. Among
the conclusions during the most recent phase of the introduction are
that a substantial number of women have continued using the Female
Condom, the Female Condom is sufficiently acceptable to men and women,
the Female Condom is a protection complement to the male condom and the
Female Condom empowers women to protect themselves. “The Female Condom is suitable for all women because . . . [it gives] you control. You are the one who has to insert it, so if anyone does not want to use it, then they can leave,” said one of the participants “We
must increase the number of protected sex acts to reduce the rate of HIV
infection in South Africa,” said Professor Helen Rees, executive
director of the Reproductive Health Research Unit that oversees the Female Condom strategy
for the South African Department of Health.
“We can do this only by ensuring access to effective, affordable
and acceptable methods of protection, such as the Female Condom.
Increasingly, individuals and communities are asking for the Female
Condom, and we are committed to providing this option for South
Africans.” “The
process of moving from pilot program to large-scale, sustainable national
program in South Africa is consistent with experiences elsewhere,” said
Leeper. “Almost all of our
partners in the United States and internationally have followed this
pattern of growth, and are maintaining and often increasing their orders. “Zimbabwe
and South Africa are both examples of countries that have successfully
implemented an overall program that incorporates the Female Condom,”
added Leeper. “In Zimbabwe,
both the social marketing program run by Population Services International
and the public sector program re-ordered in the past month.
Additionally, a recent study of the Zimbabwe social marketing
program found that the Female Condom is providing new and additional
protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).”
The study stated, “The Female Condom thus provides a new method
of barrier protection previously not achieved.” 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 research, recently published,
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.
The Female Condom 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 Condom including patents that have been
issued in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan France, Italy, Germany,
The People’s Republic of China, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and
Australia. The Female Condom is the only available product controlled by a
woman that protects against sexually transmitted diseases including
HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancy. “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, dial toll-free via fax 1-800-PRO-INFO, and enter company
code “FHCO.” Also, visit
the company’s web site, www.femalehealth.com. ###
For more information about the Female Health
Company, dial toll-free via fax,
Investor Contact
Product Contact
Media Contact William R. Gargiulo, Jr.
Mary Ann Leeper, Ph.D.
Brad
Wilks 231.526.1244
312.280.1119 x223
312.397.6036
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