What is hemophilia?
Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder that only occurs in males. A male with hemophilia is missing a protein, which helps form blood clots. Normal blood coagulation requires the complex interaction of about 20 proteins, called clotting factors. Low levels of the missing factor result in prolonged blood clotting.

What are the symptoms of hemophilia?
Symptoms of hemophilia include prolonged bleeding, bleeding into the joints, joint swelling, joint pains, knee pain, bleeding gums, fatigue, nose bleeding, excessive bruising, blood in the stool, black stool, and a rash that looks like bruises or broken blood vessels.

How does the doctor treat hemophilia?
Treatment for hemophilia includes intravenous infusions of a missing clotting factor, fresh frozen plasma, epsilon aminocaproic acid, desmopressin, and gene therapy.

There are two main forms of hemophilia:

• Hemophilia A
• Hemophilia B