It is 2 to 3 times more likely for a black or woman of color to get lupus than it is a Caucasian female. It is also vastly more likely that women get lupus than it is for men. Of the people diagnosed with lupus, 90% are women and only 10% are men. At the moment, doctors and scientists do not have an explanation for why women are more likely to develop lupus or why it is three times as likely for a woman of color (Asian, African American, Latino, Mexican, Islander, Native American) to have this disease. Lupus is a very damaging chronic autoimmune disease that can target any part of the body from skin to joints and often times organs. In lupus, the immune system which helps fight off viruses, bacteria, and germs; stops working correctly. The immune system begins to produce auto-antibodies which can’t tell the difference between viruses and bacteria and good healthy tissue. This causes pain and damage in various parts of the body. Lupus is a disease that changes from being very ill to feeling better, it flares up randomly. Lupus usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 40. Lupus is not contagious. It is described as an overactive immune system, unlike cancer which is caused by an underactive immune system. However just like cancer lupus is often treated with immunosuppressant drugs that are used in chemotherapy. Because the body is attacking itself lupus can range from very mild to life-threatening. This is why we need to bring more awareness to this autoimmune
It is 2 to 3 times more likely for a black or woman of color to get lupus than it is a Caucasian female. It is also vastly more likely that women get lupus than it is for men. Of the people diagnosed with lupus, 90% are women and only 10% are men. At the moment, doctors and scientists do not have an explanation for why women are more likely to develop lupus or why it is three times as likely for a woman of color (Asian, African American, Latino, Mexican, Islander, Native American) to have this disease. Lupus is a very damaging chronic autoimmune disease that can target any part of the body from skin to joints and often times organs. In lupus, the immune system which helps fight off viruses, bacteria, and germs; stops working correctly. The immune system begins to produce auto-antibodies which can’t tell the difference between viruses and bacteria and good healthy tissue. This causes pain and damage in various parts of the body. Lupus is a disease that changes from being very ill to feeling better, it flares up randomly. Lupus usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 40. Lupus is not contagious. It is described as an overactive immune system, unlike cancer which is caused by an underactive immune system. However just like cancer lupus is often treated with immunosuppressant drugs that are used in chemotherapy. Because the body is attacking itself lupus can range from very mild to life-threatening. This is why we need to bring more awareness to this autoimmune