Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month is observed in March and sponsored by the National Hemophilia Foundation. A bleeding disorder is present when the blood does not clot properly. Blood clotting is a complex process that involves as many as twenty different plasma proteins. All clotting proteins and platelets need to work effectively and in the correct order to form a proper clot that is strong enough to stop bleeding. A bleeding disorder occurs when the body is unable to activate the entire “clotting cascade” correctly.

Bleeding Disorder Awareness Month and the National Hemophilia Foundation educate and advocate on behalf of those who struggle with a bleeding disorder. If any of the steps in the clotting cascade do not work properly or are deficient, the person bleeds longer and, therefore, has a bleeding disorder. The type and severity of the disorder is determined based on the protein that is missing from the blood and how much of it is missing.