Congress enacted legislation in
1977 that established a week-long observance for lupus awareness. Since that time, the
Lupus Foundation of America has transformed the
entire month of October into National Lupus Awareness Month. Each year, the LFA leads
a nationwide campaign to improve public recognition and awareness of the disease.
President George Bush and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson recently
recognized the LFA's leadership to focus national attention on lupus.
Lupus is a disease that targets a group of people who otherwise should be
healthy - namely individuals between the ages of 15 and 44. The disease often
goes unrecognized because its primary symptoms - joint pain, fatigue, skin rashes,
and fevers - mimic many common illnesses, which can cause people to receive
treatment for conditions they may not have. At the present time, lupus has no
cure and can be fatal. It spares no organ - every part of the body can be affected
by lupus, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. There have been no
new drugs for lupus in over 40 years. Drugs used to control the disease are
borrowed from other diseases.
This year, the LFA and its nationwide network of chapters and support groups are joined
by 31 national Lupus Awareness Month Partners to distribute information about lupus symptoms
and health effects. Get your civic, social, professional or fraternal group involved in
promoting lupus awareness, too. Use this
registration form to sign-up
your organization.
