《中英對照讀新聞》Heavy periods may warn of disease 經期流量多可能是疾病的警訊

◎ 鄭寺音

Women with heavy periods could be affected by an undiagnosed bleeding disorder, a charity says.

經期流量多的女性可能罹患未診斷出的出血失調病症，一個慈善團體說。

Inherited condition von Willebrand's Disease （VMD） is thought to affect 1% of the female population, but only 5,000 women have been diagnosed in the UK.

遺傳性症狀溫韋伯氏病被認為影響1%的女性人口，但英國只有5000名女性被診斷出來。

Less than 70% of those with concerns about their periods have ever spoken to a GP, a survey of 600 women aged 16-45 for the Haemophilia Society says.

對自己的月經有疑慮的女性之中不到70%會與她們的醫師討論，血友病協會針對600名16到45歲女性的調查顯示。

The charity says the results show the issue of menstruation remains "taboo".

該慈善團體說，這份調查顯示，月經這個問題仍是「禁忌」。

Von Willebrand's Disease is a condition which leads to heavy or prolonged menstrual flow. But women may also get heavy nosebleeds, bruise easily and see lengthy bleeding from small cuts and scratches.

溫韋伯氏病是一種引起大量經血或經期拉長的疾病。但女性也會大量流鼻血，容易瘀傷，小割傷與劃傷就造成大量流血。

The Haemophilia Society says that because the condition is hereditary, women often think that the heavy periods they share with other members of their family are normal.

血友病協會說，由於這種病是遺傳的，女性常認為她們與家族其他成員都有的經血流量多是正常的。

It is often only when excessive bleeding occurs after an operation or in childbirth that a diagnosis is finally made. And this can be dangerous because operating theatre or maternity ward staff do not know why the bleeding is happening.

這種情況常常只有在手術後或生產時過量流血才終於被診斷出來。這可能造成危險，因為手術室或是產房人員不知道為何會發生大量失血。

新聞辭典

affect：動詞，（病）侵襲；罹患。例句：Her kidneys had become affected. 她的腎臟受到了感染。

period：在此指「月經」，例句：She'd missed a period and was worried. 她月經沒來，心裡很擔心。下文的menstruation，意同，也可用menstrual period。

GP=general practitioner ：普通開業醫生，非專科醫生。

operating theatre︰手術室。