What is VWD?
VWD (von Willebrand disease or von Willebrand disorder) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder worldwide. It affects both females and males equally.
It is a genetic condition and people are born with it. People with VWD have a mutation in the gene that makes a protein in the blood called von Willebrand factor (VWF). As a result, they do not have enough VWF or it doesn't work the way it should. This means they can have problems with controlling bleeding: it can take longer for blood to clot and for bleeding to stop.
How do you get VWD?
VWD is a genetic condition and it is usually passed from parent to child, in the same way as other genetic information such as the colour of their hair or their eyes.