Swelling and intense pain usually result, and with the repetition of such episodes, the person with hemophilia becomes crippled by his own blood. A, which is caused by a lack or deficiency of factor VIII, a blood plasma protein. Hemophilia B, the next most common form, is caused by a lack or deficiency of the factor IX blood plasma protein. Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder, occurring most often in males. Approximately 1 out of every 4,000 American males will be born with the disease, inherited through the mother.
Hemophilia can occur in any family, even one without a known history of the disease.
The treatment of hemophilia is extremely expensive. Because persons with hemophilia have a virtually normal life span, they must bear the catastrophic costs for a lifetime. The cost of blood products and other hemophilia related medical expenses will vary from person to person. The prevalence of these disfunctions my be much higher.