Hemophilia (An Introduction)

Hemophilia (heem-o-FILL-ee-ah) is a rare bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally.
If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others after an injury. You also may bleed inside your body (internally), especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can damage your organs and tissues and may be life threatening.

• Is there a cure for hemophilia?
  The main treatment for hemophilia is called replacement therapy. Concentrates of clotting factor VIII (for hemophilia A) or clotting factor IX (for hemophilia B) are slowly dripped or injected into a vein. These infusions help replace the clotting factor that's missing or low.
  
  
• What is the cause of hemophilia?
  Haemophilia is caused by an inherited genetic mutation. It mainly affects males due to the way it's passed from a parent to their child. A genetic mutation occurs when the normal instructions carried in certain genes become "scrambled".
  
  
• What is a hemophiliac?
  Hemophilia is a rare hereditary (inherited) bleeding disorder in which blood cannot clot normally at the site of a wound or injury. The disorder occurs because certain blood clotting factors are missing or do not work properly. This can cause extended bleeding from a cut or wound.
  
  
• Can a girl have hemophilia?
  If the mother carries the gene for hemophilia on one of her X chromosomes, each of her sons will have a 50% chance of having hemophilia. Although girls rarely develop the symptoms of hemophilia itself, they can be carriers of the disease. In some cases, girls who are carriers can have mild bleeding symptoms.