When someone mentions hemophilia, what’s the first image that comes to mind?
A boy in a hospital bed? A man with joint pain?
You're not alone. For years, bleeding disorders like hemophilia have been seen as a “male condition.” But here's the truth: women and girls bleed too. And they’ve been doing it quietly, often without support or recognition.
This World Hemophilia Day, it’s time we flip the script and spotlight the unheard voices of women living with bleeding disorders—because recognition isn’t just overdue, it’s essential.
🩸 What Is Hemophilia—and Why Does It Matter for Women?
Hemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder where the blood lacks enough clotting factors, making it difficult to stop bleeding. People with hemophilia can bleed longer than normal—even from small injuries. In more severe cases, bleeding can happen internally in joints or muscles, causing long-term damage.
While men are more commonly diagnosed, women can and do have symptoms too. They may be:
Symptomatic carriers
Living with mild or moderate hemophilia themselves
Experiencing excessive bleeding with periods, childbirth, or surgeries
The problem? Their symptoms are often brushed off as “just heavy periods” or “normal after-birth recovery.”
Why Are Women Still Being Overlooked?
Here’s the painful truth: women are still misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or completely missed in conversations around bleeding disorders. Why?
Outdated Labels: Calling women “just carriers” has downplayed their symptoms for decades.
Medical Bias: Many doctors are trained to look for hemophilia in men—not women.
Stigma Around Periods: Menstrual health is still taboo in many places, making it harder for women to speak up.
Lack of Research: Studies have historically focused on men, leaving gaps in how symptoms show up in women.
The result? Delayed care, emotional distress, and women quietly living with pain they don’t even have a name for.
Why This Year’s Theme Is a Game Changer
The 2025 theme—“Access for All: Women and Girls Bleed Too”—isn’t just a message. It’s a mission.
It calls on everyone—from doctors and researchers to families and communities—to:
See women
Hear their stories
And provide care that reflects their reality
This theme invites us to move past outdated beliefs and focus on building a gender-inclusive future for bleeding disorder care.
What Can We Do—Together?
Here’s how we can turn awareness into action:
Speak Up: Share stories and facts about bleeding disorders in women. The more we talk, the more we normalize it.
Educate Clinicians: Advocate for better training so doctors recognize female symptoms early.
Push for Research: Support studies that include and prioritize women.
Build Support Networks: Create safe spaces where women can share, ask, and connect.
Promote Equal Access: Fight for policies that provide fair diagnosis and treatment—regardless of gender.
Why This Matters for Every Woman and Girl
When we start recognizing women and girls in the bleeding disorder community, we:
Diagnose faster
Treat earlier
Prevent long-term damage
Empower women to advocate for their own care
Break the silence and shame that so many have carried for far too long
This is about dignity, respect, and giving every woman a chance at a full, healthy life.
Hemophilia isn’t just a man’s condition. It’s a human one.
And every human who bleeds deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for.
This World Hemophilia Day, let’s say it louder—She bleeds too.
And she deserves access, empathy, and equal care—today, and every day after.
