Young Adults
If you're between the ages of 18 and 25, you're leaving adolescence behind and becoming even more independent, possibly living on your own. This time of transition comes with many challenges and responsibilities. You're probably dealing a variety of issues, from education and career planning to relationships, risky behaviour and responsibility—and most importantly, your health. You don't want to be defined by your hemophilia, but it's important to remember that you do face certain issues that other people may not.
Taking Responsibility for Treatment
If you're moving away from home, you'll have many new practical responsibilities to take care of, from buying groceries, doing laundry, and paying bills. Along with these come new responsibilities for managing your own treatment, such as:
- Communicating directly with your team at the Hemophilia Treatment Centre
- Making and attending appointments
- Ordering factor treatment
- Documenting and submitting treatment logs
Smart Tips for Staying Safe
Make sure you always have contact numbers or addresses of people, clinics, and health centres that can provide immediate information and necessary medical attention when needed. If you don't already wear one, consider a Medic Alert bracelet to notify others of your condition in case you are unable to.
Your Relationship with Your Parents
Your relationship with your parents is probably starting to change: they will need to start stepping back and letting your make your own decisions. Keep in mind that this can be difficult for them. They may be adapting to a sense of loss as they let you go off on your own. Even though you may be excited about the new opportunities ahead, it's pretty common to feel that your parents are still offering too much advice, or questioning your ability to control your own life. Try to keep in mind that this "phase" will pass as you mature, and their "interfering" should lessen.
Choosing Your Career
At this stage in your life, one of the most important decisions you will have to make is how you will support yourself. There are a few career choices that are less suitable to you because of the high risk or injury involved, such as the armed forces or emergency services. Other jobs may be risky because they take you out of treatment availability range, for example, if they require travel to remote destinations. The best thing you can do for yourself at this age is to get the training or education that will help you choose a career path that you enjoy and is of appropriate risk level.
Relationships and Sexuality
Almost everyone at this age has questions about sexuality and finding a loving relationship. Foremost in your mind may be the question: "Do I need to tell friends or potential partners about my hemophilia?" There is no right answer to this question. To help you decide who to confide in, try asking yourself why they might need to know. These are some questions to consider:
- Is it a friend you see during sports activities or a book club?
- Is it a potentially long-term relationship that could lead to family plans?
- Put yourself in their shoes—would you want to know if you were them?
- Because hemophilia is inherited and the gene can be passed on to your children, how might this affect your relationship or your sexual life?
Finding a Support Network
There are a lot of questions that hemophilia will raise as you reach adulthood. The good news is that there is also a lot of support available. The nurses at your local treatment clinic can suggest resource materials and most importantly will be able to offer you guidance and answers to at least some of your questions. You can also talk to your parents and doctor. Peers you have met through community organizations, such as the Canadian Hemophilia Society, are a great source of information as well. If they have already gone through this stage, they might have some experiences and advice that they can share with you.