McKinney Calls Attention
to Women's Bleeding Disorders
April 23, 2002
Washington, DC-Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
has introduced HR 380, which would call attention
to the critical needs of women with bleeding disorders.
"Too many women suffer from bleeding disorders
and I have at least one friend who has suffered
from such a disorder. Anything I can do to bring
attention to this unnoticed illness will help
the many women in this country who are afflicted
with bleeding disorders."
The majority of women who suffer from bleeding
disorders have von Willebrand disease and usually
go undiagnosed. Without effective medical treatment,
this disease can lead to horrible consequences
for the reproductive abilities of women. Obtaining
an accurate diagnosis of von Willebrand disease
in particular can be difficult given current testing
techniques. Failure to diagnose von Willebrand
disease may lead to unnecessary hysterectomies,
problematic childbirth and surgery, and a lifetime
of unnecessary suffering. "This legislation is
the first step in what will be an ongoing initiative
through my Congressional office to accurately
diagnose women's bleeding disorders before they
have to surrender the possibility for a family
in the future."
HR 380 calls for appropriate screening for women
and girls with excessive menstrual bleeding, as
well as for an evaluation prior to the diagnosis
of as hysterectomy to rule out the possibility
of a bleeding disorder. This legislation calls
for women with bleeding disorders to be refereed
to a federally sponsored hemophilia treatment
center for comprehensive treatment. In addition,
it calls for the continuation of public education
and outreach campaigns such as those conducted
by the National Hemophilia Foundation and the
Centers for Disease Control. Georgia State Representative
Karla Drenner enthusiastically endorsed introduction
of this legislation, " I congratulate Congresswoman
McKinney for introducing this important legislation.
I'm glad Congress will now work to deal head on
with an issue that has been pushed into the shadows
of women's health for so long."
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