Which of the following statements describes hemophilia?

• A. Excessive bleeding and easy bruising.
• B. High blood pressure.
• C. Bleeding gums, blood in urine and stool, and frequent hard-to-stop nosebleeds.
• D. Shortness of breath.

Answer: (C)

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by inadequate clot formation, so the body has trouble stopping bleeding after any injury. This can show up as bleeding from mucous membranes and joints because the normal clotting process isn’t working well. When the statement mentions bleeding gums, blood in urine and stool, and nosebleeds that are hard to stop, it reflects a pattern of widespread bleeding tendency across various sites, which fits with a clotting defect like hemophilia. The other options describe features not tied to a bleeding disorder (high blood pressure or shortness of breath) or only a general idea of bleeding without specifying the characteristic pattern seen with a clotting problem.