Haemophilia in Families

• Haemophilia is caused by an alteration in the gene making factor VIII (8) or IX (9)
• Women and men can carry the genetic alteration causing haemophilia and pass it on to their children
• Many women who carry the gene do not have bleeding symptoms.
• Some women who carry the gene can have a bleeding tendency
• Symptoms in women include bruising easily, heavy or long menstrual periods, bleeding for a long time after childbirth, surgery, medical procedures, dental extractions, injuries or accidents
• Females with very low clotting factor levels may also have joint or muscle bleeds
• In the vast majority of cases the males with haemophilia in a family will have the same level of severity, but this is not always the case.

For more information, visit the haemophilia section on the HFA web site.