Exhibit 5

      [LETTERHEAD REINHART BOERNER VAN DEUREN NORRIS & RIESELBACH, S.C.]

                               Attorneys at Law


                                 July 22, 1996



The Female Health Company
919 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 2208
Chicago, IL  60611

Gentlemen:

     We are providing this opinion in connection with the Registration Statement
of The Female Health Company, a Wisconsin corporation (the "Company"), on Form
S-8 (the "Registration Statement"), filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Act"), with respect to the proposed issuance by the Company of up
to 130,000 shares of Company common stock, $.01 par value per share (the
"Shares"), pursuant to the provisions of The Female Health Company 1991
Management Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

     We have examined (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) the Company's Amended
and Restated Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, (iii) the Plan, (iv) the
corporate proceedings relating to the adoption of the Plan, the issuance of the
Shares and the organization of the Company, and (v) such other documents and
records as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion.  In
rendering this opinion, we have relied as to certain factual matters on
certificates of officers of the Company and of state officials.

     Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that:

     1.   The Company is a corporation existing under the laws of the State of
          Wisconsin and, based solely on a certificate of the Secretary of State
          of Wisconsin; (a) has filed with the Secretary of State during its
          most recently completed report year the required annual report; (b) is
          not the subject of a proceeding under Wisconsin Statutes Section
          180.1421 to cause its administrative dissolution; (c) no determination
          has been made by the Secretary of State that grounds exist for such
          action; (d) no filing has been made with the Secretary of State of a
          decree of dissolution with respect to the Company; and (e) Articles of
          Dissolution of the Company have not been filed with the Secretary of
          State.
 
The Female Health Company
July 22, 1996
Page 2


     2.   The Shares, when issued as and for the consideration contemplated by
          the Registration Statement and the Plan, will be validly issued, fully
          paid and non-assessable by the Company, except as provided in
          Wisconsin Statutes Section 180.0622(2)(b) as interpreted.

     We consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the Registration
Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are "experts" within
the meaning of Section 11 of the Act, or that we come within the category of
persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act.

                              Yours very truly,

                              REINHART, BOERNER, VAN DEUREN,
                              NORRIS & RIESELBACH, s.c.

                              BY  /s/ James M. Bedore

                                      James M. Bedore