Women’s Bleeding Disorders

Bleeding and clotting disorders in women are of special concern because of the unique risks they pose between the relationship of the blood disorder to the female reproductive system. These problems include heavy menstrual bleeding or menorrhagia, bleeding and clotting complications of pregnancy, and recurrent fetal loss. The most common bleeding disorder affecting women is von Willebrand disease (vWD), which results from a deficiency in the body’s ability to produce a certain protein that helps blood clot.

Although vWD occurs both in men and women, women are more likely to notice the symptoms because of abnormal bleeding during their menstrual period or after childbirth. Other symptoms of a bleeding disorder might include hard-to-control bleeding after minor injury, childbirth, or surgery; excessive bleeding from the gums after flossing, brushing, or having a tooth removed; frequent or long nosebleeds; and easy bruising.