Hemophilia
...nt which is costly and dangerous. As I have already mentioned, hemophilia is a genetic disorder, which means it can be passed on to the next generation. The genetic defect is in the X chromosome so it affects both males and females differently. Because the defect is on the X chromosome, it is a disease that affects mainly men. Women are less likely to have the disease because they have two X chromosomes so the normal one will cover the defective one up. For example, a if you have one X chromosome with the disease and the other one was normal, you would not show the disease, but you would carry it. This means your children could have the disease even though you do not. Men are not so lucky. The Y chromosome is not capable of covering up the defective chromosome. It only takes one defective chromosome to give a man Hemophilia. A man can not carry the disease, only have it. See the punnet squares below for a better idea. Treatments of the disease are improving with the new technology of today. When the Royal family had the disease, the only cure was prevention. This meant no physical activity that might result in injury. While this is still the best way to prevent the disease, there are some exciting new techniques to improve the quality of life of these individuals. The most common treatment is through blood and plasma transfusion. This is known as prophylaxis. By transfusing the blood into the patient, the patient can now have more of the blood clotting agent needed. While some patients have reported adverse effects, it works for most patients. These are either given on a regular basis, or at the time of trauma. The most effective way is to administer it 3 times a day but this can be very costly, sometimes over 100 thousand dollars a year. This is much too costly for most families, especially those without insurance. Most families elect to keep a supply on hand for when it is needed. When major trauma is spotted, the medicine is administered. Although Blood transfusion is the lea...