The Female Health Company

Female condom demonstration
© Adriaan Backer

Empowering women through new reproductive health methods

The Female Health Company has been a Coalition member since 2007. With its headquarters in Chicago, they manufacture, market and sell the FC2 Female Condom, the only female-controlled safe-sex contraceptive method approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and cleared by the World Health Organization (WHO) that provides dual protection against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s), including HIV.

In 2007, they began distributing the FC2 condom worldwide and it has now reached over 144 countries. But this was no easy task.

We have faced different obstacles advocating for female condoms: gender issues, supply issues, product awareness and acceptance and so forth. But, perseverance, a clear vision, and the right partners helped overcome many of these obstacles.

Denise van Dijk, Senior Market Development Manager

© Adriaan Backer

Keeping in line with the Coalition strategy, the Female Health Company acts upon all the four strategic pillars: “We ensure availability to women in over 144 countries worldwide, we ensure the best quality of product as we have manufactured a nitrile instead of latex condom, we ensure equity as well as choice as it is the only female controlled dual protection system (against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections) in the world.”

And indeed, through the power of partnership, the Female Health Company has been able to reach remote communities. In Mozambique, with the help of Pathfinder International, they’ve created the so-called “Empowerment Groups”. During these sessions, women gather to discuss how to negotiate female condom use with their partners and how to use it correctly. Since January 2012, more than 26,000 female condoms have been distributed to health units and 4,800 women have participated in Empowerment Group meetings.

The Female Health Company

The Female Health Company has been a member of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition since 2007.

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This article is part of the Coalition’s ongoing work in promoting partners and members across the globe. All the opinions reflected in this article belong to our members.

Who’s Holding up Our Pillars?

This story is part of “Who’s Holding up Our Pillars?”, a Coalition effort to invite our heroes working in supply chains to tell their stories. Read their stories and see who they contribute to our vital, everyday work.

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