The Female Health Company Featured in Documentary Television Series "Big Questions"

CHICAGO, Feb. 18, 2016 -- The Female Health Company (NASDAQ:FHCO) (FHC or the Company) today announced that it will be featured in an upcoming episode of "Big Questions," an Emmy® Award winning documentary television series that explores new ideas and projects that are changing the way the world works.  The episode “Empowering Kenya” focuses on the critical roles the Company and its FC2 Female Condoms play in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, the leading cause of death globally for women ages 15 to 44, and other sexually transmitted infections.  “Empowering Kenya” will be featured on WTTW/PBS in Chicago at 10:30 PM CT on February 19, 2016, check your local listings for dates and times in your area.  The episode will also be available to view online after the broadcast.

The documentary includes interviews with key members of Kenya’s Ministry of Health, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the Muthaa Community Development Foundation, as well as O.B. Parrish, CEO of FHC and other current and former FHC executives: Mary Ann Leeper, Karen King and Denise Van Dijk. 

“We are extremely pleased that "Big Questions" and PBS are bringing much needed attention and awareness to the health epidemic that is occurring in Kenya,” said Parrish.  “While Kenya serves as a case study for the documentary, the issues raised in the film affect many countries around the world.  In fact, more than 215 million women globally still do not have access to contraceptives and women contract more than half of all new HIV infections.

“For more than 20 years, FHC has been dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women around the world.  FC2 helps protect against unintended pregnancies, an ongoing major health and economic issue worldwide, with adolescents accounting for a disproportionate percentage of the overall burden of disease (disability - adjusted life years) associated with pregnancy and childbirth.  And, more recently, we are working closely and actively engaging with leading health organizations throughout the world, especially North America and South America, regarding the Zika virus.  Our goal is to provide information and options to effectively protect women from sexually transmitted infections.

“The emergence of the Zika virus subsequent to the production of the documentary has dramatically increased the need for access to female condoms.”

As the only available female-controlled method of protection from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and unplanned pregnancy, the female condom brings empowerment and choice to women, as well as the ability to better negotiate safer sex and take charge of their own protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the number of new STIs in the United States at 19 million annually.  In the U.S., more than an estimated 24,000 women each year lose the ability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term due to undiagnosed or untreated STIs.

FC2, manufactured by The Female Health Company, is the only female condom in the world with U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval as well as clearance from the World Health Organization.

About The Female Health Company

The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, Illinois, manufactures and markets the FC2 Female Condom® (FC2). Since the Company began distributing FC2 in 2007, the product has been shipped to 144 countries. The Company owns certain worldwide rights to the FC2 Female Condom®, including patents that have been issued in a number of countries around the world. The patents cover key aspects of FC2, including its overall design and manufacturing process.  The FC2 Female Condom® is the only currently available female-controlled product approved by the FDA that offers dual protection against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has cleared FC2 for purchase by U.N. agencies.

For more information about The Female Health Company visit the Company's website at http://www.femalehealth.com and http://www.femalecondom.org. If you would like to be added to the Company's e-mail alert list, please send an e-mail to [email protected]

Contacts:
William R. Gargiulo, Jr.	231.526.1244
Michele Greco, CFO	312.595.9123