Lupus Foundation of America Rallies Communities to Make Lupus Visible for Lupus Awareness Month

Throughout the month of May, the Lupus Foundation of America is encouraging people living with lupus, friends, family members and partners to be loud and use their voices more than ever before to Make Lupus Visible for Lupus Awareness Month. The nationwide and global effort will raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus, amplify the real-life stories of the day-to-day impact of living with lupus, and raise funds to support lupus research, education programs and support services.

Lupus is a complex and debilitating chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system is unable to tell the difference between healthy tissue and foreign invaders. This can result in inflammation, debilitating pain and damage to any organ system in the body. The symptoms of lupus often impact day-to-day life and can cause serious, and even fatal, complications, including lupus nephritis (lupus-related kidney disease) which can impact up to 60% of people with lupus and lead to kidney failure.

While lupus can affect anyone, nine out of 10 people with lupus are women and the disease disproportionately impacts certain racial and ethnic backgrounds including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander. An estimated 1.5 million Americans are living with lupus.

To help raise awareness of this misunderstood disease, the Lupus Foundation of America is featuring an interactive online Know Lupus Quiz as a key component of this year's Make Lupus Visible campaign. The quiz tests participants' knowledge about lupus, provides the correct answer following each question and directs the participant to helpful resources for more information. Participants are also asked to share the quiz on social media, and with friends and family, so that more people understand the devastating impact of lupus and to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus that help reduce time to diagnosis.

"Lupus Awareness Month is a reminder to everyone impacted by lupus of the incredible power our collective voices can have on so many around us," said Louise Vetter, President & CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America. "Just by taking the Know Lupus Quiz and sharing it with others, you can make someone with lupus feel more understood or raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus so they can have an informed conversation with their doctor - conversations that are key in reducing time to diagnosis."

The Know Lupus Quiz is just the start of ways to get involved during May. While many symptoms of lupus may be invisible, throughout the month, the Lupus Foundation of America is encouraging everybody to take part in making lupus visible by:

• Raising the awareness of lupus by sharing facts and resources using the Lupus Foundation of America's awareness toolkit.
• Joining the lupus community on May 10 for Put on Purple for World Lupus Day by loudly and proudly wearing purple, sharing why raising lupus awareness is important to you, and using facts and shareables from the World Lupus Federation Toolkit to spark conversation and highlight the importance of understanding this disease.
• Tune in to the hundreds of streamers participating in Game On! To End Lupus, where content creators livestream to fundraise, raise awareness and unite to end lupus all May long.
• Hosting a fundraiser or starting a Facebook fundraiser, and inviting your community to support the fight to end lupus.
• Donate to support lupus research, resources and education programs, and support services.

"The Lupus Foundation of America invites everyone to Make Lupus Visible this May - each voice adds power to our fight to reduce time to diagnosis, accelerate research for better treatments and make a world without lupus a reality," added Ms. Vetter.

For more information on Lupus Awareness Month and how to get involved, visit www.lupus.org/lupusawarenessmonth.

Lupus Awareness Campaign Empowers Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina Women to Stop Ignoring Symptoms That Could Be Lupus-Related

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) launched the rebranded Be Fierce. Take Control.™ campaign during Lupus Awareness Month with rebranded imagery to connect with young Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina Women at greater risk of developing lupus in their lifetime. The campaign empowers women to take control of their health, highlights common lupus symptoms and encourages those that may be experiencing symptoms to talk to their healthcare providers.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system can’t tell the difference between healthy tissues and foreign invaders. This can cause pain, inflammation and tissue damage to any organ in the body, and it impacts each person differently making it difficult to diagnose.

Be Fierce. Take Control.™ is a digital awareness campaign that aims to reach young, undiagnosed, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women who may be experiencing common lupus symptoms such as:

• Joint pain or swelling
• Extreme exhaustion
• A rash across the face
• Recurring sores in the mouth

The primary goal of the Be Fierce. Take Control. campaign, which is funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is to ultimately reduce the average time for diagnosis of six years from when a person first notices symptoms. Lupus is two-to-three times more prevalent in Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women. Because of these disparities and the impact of lupus on the body, the LFA encourages women experiencing these symptoms to stop ignoring them and talk to their healthcare provider. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to preventing long-term consequences of the disease and improving quality of life.

“Six months prior to my diagnosis, I had recurring skin infections and a rash across my cheeks that I mistook for sunburn. I was also experiencing hair loss and body swelling. I was finally diagnosed with lupus nephritis after an ER visit, three doctors visits and a kidney biopsy,” said Selena Colon, lupus warrior and Be Fierce. Take Control. campaign ambassador. “Not knowing what my future holds worries me sometimes, but I prioritize my health and take control of the condition and the effects it has on me. ‘Be Fierce. Take Control.’ is my personal slogan as well.”

The campaign website and digital advertising has been rebranded with powerful imagery of real women with lupus and women who have a personal connection to lupus. Like Selena, these women also share details of their personal lupus journey, providing a sense of connection for women learning more about common lupus symptoms and wondering if they have lupus.

The LFA encourages women experiencing symptoms to visit befiercetakecontrol.org and learn more about lupus, what questions to ask yourself, and how to have a conversation with your healthcare provider.