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The Lupus Alliance of America LI/Q Affiliate is proud to announce the start of a National Lupus Awareness Campaign in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the Ad Council. |
Despite statistics that show Lupus is a serious national health problem, affecting as many as one out of every 200 Americans, Eighty percent of young women in the United States say they have little or no knowledge of lupus, according to a national online survey released this week by the Ad Council. In an effort to raise awareness of lupus the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health is joining the Ad Council to launch a national multimedia public service advertising campaign to address the disease.
The Lupus Alliance of America LI/Q Affiliate, Long Island`s only local Lupus agency, is proud to be a partner in this campaign along with other members of the Lupus Research Institute National Lupus Coalition. The campaign was unveiled last week in front of representatives of the Lupus Alliance of LIQ as well as other Coalition members by Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H in the Great Hall at HHS and the PSAs will be distributed to media outlets nationwide now and throughout the next several months to coincide with Mother's Day and Lupus Awareness Month, which is May.
As a chronic autoimmune disease, lupus causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the body's own healthy cells and tissue as though they were foreign invaders. Although it is estimated over 2 million people have lupus, it is one of the least recognized diseases and one of the most difficult to diagnose. The new PSA campaign primarily aims to reach minority women of childbearing age (18 to 44), who are at greatest risk for lupus. The objective is to help these women understand the disease and its effects and help them identify early warning signs so they can ask their doctor for a medical evaluation.
Without intervention, lupus can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, disability, and in many cases, death. The disease can have a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, hair loss, painful or swollen joints, fever, skin rashes and kidney problems. However, in the majority of people who are living with lupus, early and effective treatment can minimize symptoms, reduce inflammation and pain, help maintain normal functions and prevent the development of serious complications.
The Ad Council's survey found that only 18 percent of women are personally concerned about lupus. The majority of respondents expressed concern about other health-related conditions, including cancer (67 percent), depression (61 percent), high blood pressure (58 percent), diabetes (57 percent) and arthritis (52 percent). Furthermore, approximately 29 percent could not correctly define lupus as an autoimmune disease, and 31 percent were not aware that women of childbearing age are most at risk.
Created pro bono by Los Angeles-based ad agency Muse Communications, the campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and Web advertising, which will all be available in Spanish. The new ads feature real women who have been diagnosed with lupus. They portray women who are experiencing symptoms of the disease but have not yet asked their doctors, "Could I have lupus?"
The PSAs conclude with the tagline, "For answers. For support. For hope." and direct women to visit a new interactive and comprehensive Web site, www.couldIhavelupus.gov, to learn more about the symptoms and treatment options for lupus and access local resources. The site, which is also available in Spanish, encourages visitors to upload their personal stories and post comments in an effort to initiate a dialogue about the disease among the target audiences.
The Lupus Alliance of America LI/Q Affiliate has been helping those in the local area whose lives have been affected by lupus for over 50 years. They are the only Lupus agency on Long Island, and offer several patient orientated programs including support groups, telephone counseling service, financial assistance programs, kids groups for children with lupus, educational seminars, doctor referral lists, community outreach programs in English and Spanish and more. Their annual Walk-Along for Lupus, the largest and longest running lupus walk on Long Island, provides almost all of the Alliance`s funds for maintaining their programs as well as provides the money donated to research, which over the last 3 years has totaled over $375,000.
If you would like to know more about the symptoms of lupus or get information on doctors in the local area, please contact the Lupus Alliance of LI/Q please call 1-800-850-9000 or 516-783-3370 or you can visit their website at www.lupusliqueens.org. All information is free and can be sent to you through mail or e-mail. You can also request adding your email address to the LAA/LIQ free e-newsletter list, join the Lupus Alliance LIQ facebook group where you can get updates on research, learn about fundraisers and help spread awareness, and follow the LAALIQ on Twitter under LupusLIQ.
Below are some of the Ad Council TV Spots. To see them all click here.
