LEGAZPI CITY (PIA) -- Couples planning to marry should consider testing and counseling for heritable hemophilia, a rare genetic illness that impairs blood clotting, according to a specialist.
Dr. Renee Myla Balang, the head of the Cancer Center at Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center (BRHMC) in Albay, advised that couples should discuss their family history and undergo premarital screening for hemophilia.
This is because children of men and women with a family history of the bleeding disorder are more likely to develop the condition, Balang said.
In an interview over the Ugnayan sa Bicol, Balang explained that individuals with hemophilia are likely to experience easy bruising and bleeding, which can last for a prolonged period or be excessive after an injury.
Bleeding can happen in any part of the body, such as the muscles, joints, digestive tract or even the brain, she said.
She said that if one of the couples or both partners turn out to be hemophilia carriers, the BRHMC provides counseling to prevent the risk of transmission to their future child.
Hemophilia patients must be informed about the potential outcomes and risks associated with the option of bearing children because treatment for the bleeding disorder is expensive, she said.
Balang said that having hemophilia can make life harder for low-income individuals.
She shared an example of a couple with hemophilia who ignored her advice about the condition and decided to have children with the hope that their children would not inherit the condition.
"However, all of their children had symptoms of the bleeding disorder. As a result, their financially disadvantaged sibling had to support them with hemophilia medication," she said in a mix of English and Bicol dialect.
She said that hemophilia patients face financial strain due to the unavailability of free medication, unlike readily available paracetamol.
