Octapharma USA Sponsors The Female Factor Women's Retreat in Monterey

MONTEREY, Calif., Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Many women with bleeding disorders continue to be unaware of their undiagnosed disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a fact that led to the formation of The Female Factor. Diagnosis and disease management will be among the many topics addressed at The 4th Annual Female Factor Women's Retreat, a free educational program for adult women with bleeding disorders sponsored by Octapharma USA and hosted by the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California (HFNC) beginning October 19th in Monterey.

The CDC estimates that as many as 1% of all women in the United States may have a bleeding disorder, but many women are not aware of the disorder despite symptoms. Von Willebrand Disease (VWD), which occurs when the blood lacks a certain protein that helps the blood to clot, is the most common bleeding disorder in women.¹

The Female Factor
The Female Factor is a large group of women in the bleeding disorders community formed through HFNC that provide outreach, leadership guidance, advocacy opportunities, networking, education and support.

"Many women with bleeding disorders continue to go undiagnosed so we appreciate the opportunity to build awareness about the impact bleeding disorders have on women," said Octapharma USA President Flemming Nielsen. "Octapharma is committed to providing life-saving therapies for people with bleeding disorders as well as supporting innovative learning experiences that maximize their quality life. We hope the retreat will have a lasting impact on patients and their caregivers."

The retreat, to be held October 19 – 21, will feature a presentation from Nurse Practitioner Amber Federizo, APRN, FNP-BC, of the Hemophilia Treatment Center of Nevada, focusing on menstrual and sexual health for women with bleeding disorders. "We will cover menstrual education and an in-depth overview of approaches to treatment of menorrhagia," said Federizo. "I will also review the needs of women who may experience bleeding with intercourse and interventions to address this very common issue."

Overcoming Barriers & Trauma
San Francisco Marriage and Family Therapist Mena K. Zaminsky, MA,  MFT,  CATC, will discuss overcoming barriers and trauma. "From earlier presentations, many are aware that living with bleeding disorders can be and often is, traumatic," Zaminsky said. "We will build on this knowledge by exploring ways to overcome barriers and explore resources to help women when the journey feels scary or overwhelming."

Octapharma USA Patient Educator Seth Rojhani, a paraplegic with Hemophilia A who overcame many obstacles to become a member of the Bronze Medal-winning Team USA wheelchair basketball team at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel, will also address the retreat on rising to life's challenges.

"It is about overcoming challenges in life and being determined to never stop doing what you love despite people telling you no," said Rojhani, a mechanical engineer. "Being able to think positive is a step in overcoming those challenges and discovering ways to work through obstacles and challenges that may arise."

The retreat will be held at the Monterey Tides Hotel, 2600 Sand Dunes Drive, Monterey. Registration for the event, which is limited to women 18 and older, includes all meals and shared ocean view rooms. For more information, please visit the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California at www.hemofoundation.org.

REFERENCE
1 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, accessed August 30, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/features/bleedingdisorder/index.html.

About the Octapharma Group
Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma is one of the largest human protein products manufacturers in the world and has been committed to patient care and medical innovation since 1983. Its core business is the development and production of human proteins from human plasma and human cell lines. Octapharma employs approximately 7,600 people worldwide to support the treatment of patients in over 113 countries with products across the following therapeutic areas:  Hematology (coagulation disorders), Immunotherapy (immune disorders) and Critical Care. The company's American subsidiary, Octapharma USA, is located in Hoboken, N.J. Octapharma operates two state-of-the-art production sites licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), providing a high level of production flexibility. For more information, please visit www.octapharmausa.com.

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SOURCE Octapharma Group

Related Links

http://www.hemofoundation.org