Hispanic Women at Greater Risk for Lupus; Campaign Seeks to Raise Awareness

In an effort to further engage Hispanic women, who are at the greatest risk for lupus, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and The Ad Council are distributing new radio public service advertisements in time for World Lupus Day May 10.

Lupus affects minority women three times more than white women.

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory disease that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the body’s own healthy cells and tissue. Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, hair loss, painful or swollen joints, fever, skin rashes and kidney problems.

The “Could I Have Lupus?” PSA campaign targets young, minority women of childbearing age, 18 to 44, who are at greatest risk for lupus, to help them understand the disease, its effects, and identify early warning signs so that they can request a medical evaluation from their doctor or community health center.

New PSAs launching today consist of :30 and :60 second Spanish radio spots featuring the stories of real women and the tagline, “For answers. For support. For hope.” The PSAs direct women to visit www.podriayotenerlupus.gov, or call a toll-free number (1-800-994-9662) to learn more about the symptoms and treatment options for lupus and access local resources.