Program Will Provide Thousands of FC2 Female Condoms to YWCA Education Programs in Several African Nations CHICAGO, Nov. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Female Health Company (OTC:FHCO) (BULLETIN BOARD: FHCO) today announced that it has reached agreement with the World YWCA to donate thousands of second-generation FC2 Female Condoms(TM) to national YWCA educational programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement was made in conjunction with the release of a statement by Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary of the World YWCA, that called on national health ministries and international donors to expand their purchase of female condoms to 180 million per year in 2006. The FC2 Female Condoms will be distributed to education programs in several African nations with the goal of increasing women's access to the only safe and effective tool for HIV prevention that women can initiate and control. "We are thrilled and honored that Dr. Kanyoro and African leaders of the World YWCA have reached out today to draw global attention to the fact that women in the developing world still have virtually no access to the female condom despite new opportunities to drive down its cost and make it widely available," said Mary Ann Leeper, President and COO of the Chicago-based Female Health Company. "The World YWCA believes, as we do, that when women gain access to the female condom, it will become something they demand," Leeper added. "That's why we have joined today with African national affiliate programs of the World YWCA to donate thousands of units of the FC2 Female Condom to YWCA-sponsored health education programs in sub-Saharan Africa." In 2004, the global public health sector combined to purchase and distribute about 12 million female condoms worldwide. By comparison, national health ministries and international donors made between six and nine billion male condoms available. Dr. Kanyoro's statement called the difference a "gross disparity," and she urged African and international organizations to immediately raise their purchases of female condoms to a minimum of 180 million units per year. Dr. Kanyoro noted that increased purchasing would drive the price of the female condom down, cutting its unit cost by more than two-thirds. The Female Health Company announced in September that it had developed a second-generation FC2 Female Condom. It will be made available to developing countries at significantly reduced pricing when purchased in large volumes, thus increasing access to HIV/AIDS prevention methods for women. The FC2 Female Condom is made of nitrile, a synthetic material that looks and performs in a statistically similar manner to FHC's FC Female Condom (FC1), the only FDA approved female-initiated barrier device against HIV that can be controlled and initiated by women. "Changes in the material used to make FC2 have allowed us to introduce an efficient manufacturing process that results in reduced cost as volume increases. This offers the Female Health Company the short-term opportunity to dramatically lower the price of FC2 to 22 cents if we can generate sales of 180 million per year. Larger purchases may make further price reductions possible," Leeper said. Currently, FC1 sells for 72 cents per unit. Because of the manufacturing process, the price of FC1 does not change significantly even when purchased in large volumes. As previously announced, the Company's goal is to achieve 3% of the global public-sector condom market, with FC2, over the next 2 - 3 years. The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, owns certain worldwide rights to FC Female Condom(R) 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. FC Female Condom(R) 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 plan 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 government 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 the Company's web site at http://www.femalehealth.com/ and http://www.femalecondom.org/ . If you would like to be added to an e-mail alert list, please send an e-mail to . DATASOURCE: Female Health Company CONTACT: Investors, William R. Gargiulo, Jr., +1-231-526-1244, or Business - Product, Mary Ann Leeper, Ph.D., +1-312-595-9123, or Media, Bryan Callahan, +1-202-729-4255, all of Female Health Company Web site: http://www.femalehealth.com/ http://www.femalecondom.org/

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