Bleeding Disorders
Hemophilia of Georgia helps people who have bleeding disorders including hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease, and certain platelet disorders. All of these conditions are present from birth and last a person's whole life. While there is treatment, there is no cure.
Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is believed to be the most common bleeding disorder, affecting as many as 1 in every 100 people. Hemophilia is much rarer - there are only about 20,000 people in the United States who have Hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency) or Hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency). Rarer still are the inherited platelet disorders. These include Bernard-Soulier Syndrome, Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia, and Platelet Storage Pool Deficiencies.
This website has basic information about these bleeding disorders. More detailed information can be found in The Hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease & Platelet Disorders Handbook. Hemophilia of Georgia also has bleeding disorder experts that are available to make educational presentations throughout the state. To schedule a presentation for your civic club, school, or faith community, please contact Hemophilia of Georgia at (770) 518-8272 or mail@hog.org.
Additional Resources
The Canadian Hemophilia Society and the World Federation of Hemophilia are good resources on the web to read about bleeding disorders. The National Bleeding Disorders Foundation offers HANDI, an information resource center with specialists who can answer questions about bleeding disorders and provide written materials. They are available by phone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST. Their toll-free number is 1-800-42HANDI. HANDI also responds to e-mail requests at handi@hemophilia.org.
