Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from What Black Women Should Know About Lupus: Ideas for Community Programs
If you are concerned about the health of black women, you can make a difference. You can help raise awareness in your community about lupus in young black women and encourage them to see a doctor if they have symptoms of the disease. This kit presents a variety of ideas you can use to develop educational programs on lupus for black women. It is based on successful programs on lupus and other health topics that have been carried out throughout the country.
Lupus is a serious health problem that mainly affects young women. The disease often starts between the ages of 15 and 44. People of all races may get lupus. However; black women have three times higher rates of incidence (number of new cases), prevalence (total number of cases), and mortality than white women. They tend to develop the disease at a younger age than white women and to develop more serious complications. As many as 1 in 250 black women will get the disease.
Lupus is often hard to diagnose because it is similar to many other diseases. Many in the black community have never heard of lupus, and it often goes undiagnosed until serious complications arise. Lupus may damage the joints, skin, kidneys, lung, heart, or brain.
Lupus can be serious, but with early detection and proper treatment, most people with lupus can lead a normal life. Researchers sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (nih) are making significant progress in lupus. An nih research team has determined the most effective drug treatment for the kidney disease of lupus-and found that this treatment can prevent the most serious kidney damage. Other nih-supported research is helping women with lupus have successful pregnancies. And the lead nih Institute for lupus research, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (niams) has just launched a series of research initiatives aimed at determining the causes of lupus, more precisely how it damages the organs, and why it is more common in women and minorities, particularly african-american women. The niams also will be funding the first two Federally funded research centers ever devoted to lupus.
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