The Female Health Company Anticipates Record Unit Shipments and Operating Earnings in FY2012

CHICAGO, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At its Annual Meeting of Shareholders today in Chicago, The Female Health Company (NASDAQ-CM: FHCO) announced that it expects to report record unit shipments and operating earnings for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012.

"We reported a strong start to the fiscal year with outstanding first quarter sales and earnings results, and based on current and anticipated product orders, we expect to ship a record number of FC2 Female Condoms® and to achieve record operating earnings in Fiscal 2012," said O. B. Parrish, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Female Health Company.  "The previous record was set in Fiscal 2009, when the Company shipped 40.1 million units and reported operating income of $6.2 million, excluding restructuring charges."

In its most recent fiscal year, which ended September 30, 2011, the Company shipped 32.9 million FC2 Female Condoms and generated operating income of $3.3 million.

As noted in previous Female Health Company news releases, timing issues regarding the receipt and shipment of large orders can significantly impact the Company's operating results, positively or negatively, illustrating the difficulty of providing specific sales and operating earnings guidance.  In the future, the Company intends to periodically provide general comments regarding its outlook, based upon information available at the time.

About The Female Health Company

The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, Illinois, manufactures and markets the FC2 Female Condom® (FC2), which is available in the U.S. and approximately 130 other countries. The Company owns certain worldwide rights to the FC2 Female Condom®, including patents that have been issued in the U.S., the European Union, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan, The People's Republic of China, Spain, Mexico, Greece, Turkey and by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), which includes Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  FC2 patent applications are pending in various countries.  The FC2 Female Condom® is the only available FDA-approved product controlled by a woman that offers dual protection against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has cleared FC2 for purchase by U.N. agencies. 

"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

The statements in this release which are not historical fact are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding the outlook for FY 2012. These statements are 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, and are made as of the date of this release.  The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information or future events, developments or circumstances.  Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties.  The Company's actual results and future developments could differ materially from the results or developments expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.  Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:  product demand and market acceptance; competition in the Company's markets and the risk of new competitors and new competitive product introductions; the Company's reliance on its international partners in the consumer sector and on the level of spending on the female condom by country governments, global donors and other public health organizations in the global public sector; the economic and business environment and the impact of government pressures; risks involved in doing business on an international level, including currency risks, regulatory requirements, political risks, export restrictions and other trade barriers; the Company's production capacity, efficiency and supply constraints; and other risks detailed in the Company's press releases, shareholder communications and Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2011.  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 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].

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

In addition to the results reported in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") included in this release, the Company has provided certain non-GAAP financial information, specifically operating income exclusive of the $1.5 million restructuring charge. Management believes that the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure provides useful information to investors because this information may allow investors to better evaluate ongoing business performance and certain components of the Company's results. In addition, because the restructuring charge related to a non-recurring event in FY2009, the Company believes that the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure enhances an investor's ability to make period-to-period comparisons of the Company's operating results. This information should be considered in addition to the results presented in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered a substitute for the GAAP results. The Company has reconciled the non-GAAP financial information included in this release in a table below.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Information

Following is a reconciliation to the Non-GAAP financial measure of operating income exclusive of restructuring charge from the nearest GAAP financial measure of operating income for year ended September 30, 2009.

SOURCE The Female Health Company