I Spent Years Normalising My Heavy Periods—Until My Son’s Diagnosis Revealed I Had a Bleeding Disorder

It was 15 years ago, through her then eight-month-old son, that Gemma Gardner discovered that she has haemophilia: a rare genetic condition that causes people to bleed for longer than normal because their blood does not contain enough clotting factors.

“He just kept getting these bruises all over his body,” the 47-year-old recalls when we meet over Zoom. Though she instinctively knew something was amiss, Gemma’s doctor told her not to worry. “I didn’t question it because you trust your GP,” she explains. “It was my mum who pushed me to get a second opinion.”

Thankfully, she did, because at the instruction of the second GP, Gemma and her son were rushed to hospital. “In that first 24 hours, I thought I’d never smile again,” she winces, looking back on the day that haemophilia became part of their lives. “He was such a tiny baby, having all these tests.”

At first, Gemma couldn’t even consider how she might be affected by the condition. Her attention was entirely on her son. “I knew vaguely that my great-grandfather might have died of haemophilia, but it was never something we talked about because both my sister and I were women,” she explains.

It’s this gendered misconception that leaves many women undiagnosed, unaware and unprepared for haemophilia. Historically, it’s been deemed a "male condition" because it’s transmitted by the X chromosome. “My mum had asked doctors about haemophilia when my sister and I were born, but had been told it would be fine because we were girls. It’s why it was never talked about,” Gemma says.

The reality, though, is that women like Gemma are affected. In fact, nearly a quarter of women with heavy periods will have an underlying bleeding disorder, whilst a third of women with the haemophilia gene would be classified as having mild haemophilia I (clotting factor under 40%), which makes it likely they will experience symptoms. However, even women who are carriers of the gene (symptomatic haemophilia carriers) and have clotting factors above 40% can still be impacted, with heavy menstrual bleeding, iron deficiency and pregnancy complications all possible.

It’s something that Gemma came to terms with only after the initial shock of her son’s diagnosis had passed. “Looking back, you can start to map symptoms that you’d never even considered at the time,” she says.

One such symptom, which often gets overlooked, was her heavy periods. “You just don’t know how you compare to the next woman, which makes it hard to know if your period is abnormal,” she explains, speaking to an experience many women, with or without a bleeding disorder, will be familiar with.

This uncertainty can lead women to battle excessive bleeding without adequate care. “I literally bled for days and days,” she explains when reflecting on a procedure she underwent to remove precancerous cells. “I didn’t know there was anything to flag because the hospital tells you there might be some bleeding.”

The same rings true of a dental procedure she had as a teenager. “I was in and out of A&E, where they just kept packing my mouth with gauze and sending me home.” She almost laughs, though the mental picture is shocking.

Despite these patterns, a bleeding disorder was never investigated before her son was diagnosed, in part because the condition is misunderstood in women. But though our symptoms are often less critical than men’s, life can still be affected if left untreated. “Mentally, I believe I can do anything,” Gemma tells me. “But physically, I often found I didn’t have the energy. It made me question whether I was unfit, [even though] I’ve always been active and sporty.”

Of course, the real reason for her low energy had nothing to do with fitness and much more to do with the extreme blood loss occurring each month when her period arrived.

Fortunately, with the help of iron infusions and regular blood tests, Gemma’s life continues as normal. Currently, she holds down a busy marketing job whilst raising two teenagers, playing hockey and travelling regularly. If anything, she says, that’s what haemophilia has given her: a desire to make the most of what she has. “It’s made me realise what’s important,” she smiles. “And to let go of some of the ridiculous things I used to worry about.”

Despite her unshakeable optimism, an undeniable extra responsibility comes with parenting a child with haemophilia. “My husband and I learned pretty early on that we need to be the most educated and informed people in the room,” Gemma admits. “We have to know our situation, what we have to do and who we need to speak to.”

That’s where education and awareness about the condition and how it presents for both men and women are essential. “I want healthcare professionals to listen and, if they can’t help, to at least be aware enough to refer you to someone who can,” says Gemma, adding that, overarchingly, the specialist care she has received has been brilliant and is improving all the time.

“I’d encourage women not to suffer in silence because there are solutions out there,” she says. “Whether it’s managing heavy periods, making decisions about pregnancy to reduce the risk of passing on haemophilia, or considering how the condition is managed following diagnosis in the womb, we can make informed decisions about our care.”

For Gemma’s family, haemophilia has made them stronger than ever, and there’s certainly no guilt or blame between them. “Yes, it’s changed our lives,” she says, “but my family are happy, we’re not consumed by it, and it doesn’t hold us back.”

To find help or support with the diagnosis or treatment of haemophilia, visit Novonordisk.co.uk.

This campaign has been funded by Novo Nordisk and created by Marie Claire with direct input from Novo Nordisk and participating haemophilia patients, whose knowledge and insights have informed the content and direction for the campaign assets. UK26H00029 | October 2026