Haemophilia A and B are inherited bleeding disorders caused by changes in genes responsible for blood clotting. [Courtesy]
For years, women who carried the gene responsible for haemophilia were largely assumed to be unaffected. That understanding has since changed.
Some haemophilia carriers have reduced levels of clotting factors and can experience significant bleeding, sometimes for years without knowing why.
Geshimu Joshua, a medical practitioner at Kenyatta National Hospital who has worked with patients with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders in Kenya, says the long-held belief that carriers do not bleed has contributed to missed diagnoses and delayed care.
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