The short explanation
Yes, they can. Some intestinal worms, especially hookworms, attach to the gut wall and cause slow, steady blood loss. Over months this can lower iron stores and haemoglobin, even in adults who eat reasonably well. Worm infections are more common where people walk barefoot on soil, where sanitation is limited, or where drinking water is not clean. That is why public health programmes in India include periodic deworming along with iron supplements for women. Deworming is one part of preventing anaemia, but it does not replace finding out why a particular woman is anaemic.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Wearing footwear outside, washing hands before eating and after using the toilet, and safe drinking water help prevent reinfection.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, tell the health worker, because the timing of deworming in pregnancy is decided carefully.
- Heavy periods, diet and pregnancies close together remain the commonest causes of anaemia in women, so worms are rarely the only reason.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you whether worms are causing anaemia in you. A blood test, and sometimes a stool test, are needed.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Is deworming suitable for me right now?
- Should my haemoglobin be checked as well?
- Could anything else be causing my anaemia?
- Should my family members be dewormed too?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days if you notice blood in stool, black stools, or feel very weak or breathless.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Ask at your local primary health centre for a blood test and advice on deworming.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Anaemia World Health Organization
- Anemia MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
- Iron deficiency anaemia NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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