CHICAGO, May 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Female Health Company (NASDAQ:FHCO) (FHC) today announced that the Ministry of Health in Brazil will distribute 100,000 of FHC's FC2 Female Condoms to the athletes participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a total of approximately 450,000 male and female condoms will be distributed to the Olympic athletes. The Ministry of Health in Brazil will facilitate their distribution. The FC2s have been delivered as part of a prior tender by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
“We are delighted that the Brazilian Ministry of Health will be distributing FHC’s FC2 at this summer’s Olympics. The fact that FC2s comprise about 22% of the total condoms distributed reflects the increased usage and acceptance of the female condom worldwide,” said O.B. Parrish, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Female Health Company. “Brazil has suffered a significant Zika outbreak and we are proud to play an important role in protecting the Olympic athletes from that risk.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now confirmed a link between the Zika virus and babies born with microcephaly, as well as an increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome among adults. Moreover, the CDC has confirmed that Zika can be transmitted through sexual contact. We are presently in communication and collaboration with leading health organizations worldwide to help prevent the spread of the Zika virus. Our combined efforts are focused on implementing an action plan to provide both the FC2 and education and training to the public health sector.”
FC2 provides women a non-hormonal option for both their contraception and disease prevention needs including the Zika virus and HIV/AIDS. The product is comparable in efficacy to that of male condoms in preventing both unintended pregnancy and STIs.
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, it 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 the 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 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 FHCInvestor@femalehealthcompany.com.