# Dealing with heavy menstrual bleeding in very rare bleeding disorders: from a patient’s perspective

**Authors:** Priyanka Raheja, Rezan Abdul-Kadir, Maja Johanne Søndergaard Knudsen, Christina Burgess, Saskia E.M. Schols

PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.rpth.2026.103368 · 2026-01-23

## TL;DR

This paper shares personal stories of women with rare bleeding disorders to highlight the challenges of heavy menstrual bleeding and the need for better awareness and care.

## Contribution

The paper introduces personal narratives from women with very rare bleeding disorders to emphasize their unique health challenges and advocate for improved support.

## Key findings

- Heavy menstrual bleeding in women with rare bleeding disorders causes significant physical and psychosocial challenges.
- Personal stories reveal the overwhelming difficulties in diagnosis and management of these disorders.
- Sharing patient perspectives can raise awareness and improve quality of life for affected women.

## Abstract

Data on heavy menstrual bleeding in women with very rare bleeding disorders, such as very rare coagulation factor deficiencies or severe inherited platelet disorders, are scarce. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common health problem in premenopausal women, causing both physical and psychosocial challenges. For women with very rare bleeding disorders, these challenges are unimaginably overwhelming, from hurdles during the diagnostic trajectory, facing regular monthly blood loss, to finding recognition of their unique position in life. Providing these women with a platform to share their life stories with their own true perspectives will increase awareness of this global health problem. In this opinion paper, we report the personal stories of 3 women living with very rare bleeding disorders and provide a future perspective on improving the quality of life for this population.

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** F8 (coagulation factor VIII) [NCBI Gene 2157] {aka AHF, DXS1253E, F8B, F8C, FVIII, HEMA}, F11 (coagulation factor XI) [NCBI Gene 2160] {aka FXI, PTA}, FGB (fibrinogen beta chain) [NCBI Gene 2244] {aka HEL-S-78p}, F5 (coagulation factor V) [NCBI Gene 2153] {aka FVL, PCCF, RPRGL1, THPH2, fV}, F7 (coagulation factor VII) [NCBI Gene 2155] {aka SPCA}, F13A1 (coagulation factor XIII A chain) [NCBI Gene 2162] {aka F13A}
- **Diseases:** deficiencies (MESH:D007153), HMB (MESH:D008595), coagulation factor deficiencies (MESH:D020147), OCPs (MESH:D020820), M. Glanzmann and Bernard-Solier syndrome (MESH:C566367), hemophilia (MESH:D006467), Glanzmann thrombasthenia (MESH:D013915), endometriosis (MESH:D004715), injury (MESH:D014947), congenital platelet disorders (MESH:D001791), impaired quality of daily life (MESH:D020773), blood loss (MESH:D016063), factor X deficiency (MESH:D005171), fatigue (MESH:D005221), VWD (MESH:D014842), bleeding (MESH:D006470), falling (MESH:C537863), Iron deficiency (MESH:D000090463), iron-deficient anemia (MESH:D018798)
- **Chemicals:** iron (MESH:D007501), tranexamic acid (MESH:D014148)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

1 figure with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12925065/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12925065