A-Fem Medical Corp. Announces Second Major Patent for PadKit Technology.

Business Editors, Medical Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2000

A-Fem Medical (OTCBB:AFEM), announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on December 28, 1999 (U. S. Patent No. 6,007,498) expanding the protection for the technology which is the basis for A-Fem's innovative new women's diagnostic product.

The PadKit(R) Sample Collection System is a totally new approach for diagnosing a woman's health with a non-invasive self-collected sample obtained in the privacy of her own home. The company expects the PadKit(R) to be a cost-effective alternative to the invasive cervical scrape for Pap smears, to the intrusive vaginal swab for STD's, potentially hazardous venipuncture (blood draws) or unpleasant urine samples. With the addition of the new patent, the technology for both the method and apparatus used for collecting vaginal fluid and exfoliated vaginal cells is more broadly protected.

"This new patent represents a milestone in our efforts to build a patent portfolio around one of our core technologies," stated William Fleming, vice chairman for A-Fem. "We believe the PadKit(R) will become an accepted self-collected sample system, providing an evaluation of a woman's health to her health care practitioner prior to her visit."

The PadKit(R) is the first planned diagnostic application of the company's proprietary interlabial pad ("ILP") product. The PadKit(R) contains an ILP to collect a sample of exfoliated cervical and endometrial cells, as well as other vaginal discharge of diagnostic interest.

Clinical studies are being conducted to validate this concept and determine the extent to which a sample collected with the PadKit(R) can be used in place of the conventional cervical scrape for a Pap test, and further evaluated for a number of other useful applications such as sexually transmitted and other infectious diseases. Results to date continue to be encouraging.

Currently over 30 million Pap tests are performed annually to test for cervical cancer at a cost of more than $1 billion per year. Although significant improvements have been made in the area of Pap test sample reading and sample preparation, no consistent sample collection method has been developed. The PadKit(R) will allow a woman to collect a sample in the privacy of her own home, which would be analyzed by a lab and the results provided to the physician prior to a patient's office visit. This would allow appropriate procedures, such as a confirming smear, colposcopy, biopsy, or other procedure, to be scheduled during the actual visit. Samples may also be used for repeated testing and/or additional testing, and may be stored for further testing at a later date.

A-Fem Medical Corporation is a medical technology company with multiple product platforms targeting unmet women's health needs. A-Fem has developed three proprietary business lines: the inSync(R) miniform ILP, Rapid-Sense(R) diagnostic products and the PadKit(R) Sample Collection System. A-Fem currently markets the inSync(R) miniform as an alternative to tampons, pads and liners for light flow protection. The company is developing diagnostic products using its proprietary Rapid-Sense(R) technology. The PadKit(R), currently in clinical trials, utilizes an ILP as a non-invasive sample collection method for use in screening for certain cancers and diseases. For more information, visit A-Fem's website at www.afem.com.

This document contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those disclosed in the company's reports filed with the Securities Exchange Commission including the Annual Report on form 10K for the year ended 12/31/98.