Undoing the Long-Held Misunderstandings of Hemophilia in Women

A 30-year-old was in labor with her first child. Everything was going to plan … until it wasn’t. Dr. Azusa Nagao, a hematologist at Ogikubo Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, shares a case that illustrates how historically it was thought that women and people assigned female at birth could only be carriers of the disease, not have the disease themselves. This misunderstanding of hemophilia in women has led to women going undiagnosed and untreated with severe repercussions. For the patient in this story, it meant a frightening and dangerous birth experience that put her and her child at risk. Dr. Nagao also outlines efforts to educate patients and physicians about hemophilia, what to look for, and how to treat it.