WASHINGTON, May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Very few Hispanics are aware of lupus even though Hispanic women are among those with a higher prevalence of the disease," said Dr. Jane Delgado, President and CEO, of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (The Alliance), the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group. "That is why it is important to raise awareness about lupus in Hispanic/Latino communities, and in particular among women. They need to know what is lupus, what are the signs and symptoms, and that lupus can be better controlled if diagnosed early."
May is Lupus Awareness Month and the Alliance's Let's Talk About Lupus/Hablemos del lupus Program is helping to increase awareness about lupus among Hispanics, connect individuals to services in their community, and advance health care practitioners' knowledge on diagnosis and treatment to improve outcomes for those with lupus. As part of this initiative and in collaboration with the Lupus Foundation of America, the Alliance developed ¿Podría tener lupus? (Could you Have Lupus?), a fact-sheet and a companion Info-Card in Spanish, with key information about what is lupus, the symptoms and organs it can affect, to encourage patients to ask their providers questions. These materials along with the program PSAs are available at http://www.healthyamericas.org/lets-talk-about-lupus.html
"There are medications and steps that a person can take to control it", said Dr. Delgado. "With these new Spanish-language lupus resources, we want to raise awareness and help close the knowledge gap with regards to lupus among Hispanics. Consumers can also call our toll- free Su Familia Helpline at 1-866-783-2645 to get answers to their questions about lupus and receive referrals to health resources in their community," added Dr. Delgado.
Lupus is a serious autoimmune disease that can lead to inflammation and damage to many organs and body tissues. Lupus is often misdiagnosed for many reasons as there is no single test that can be used to know if someone has lupus.
About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health: The Alliance is the nation's foremost science-based source of information and trusted non-partisan advocate for the best health outcomes for all. The Alliance represents thousands of Hispanic health providers across the nation providing services to more than 15 million each year. For more information, visit healthyamericas.org or call the Alliance's Su Familia Helpline at 1-866-783-2645, or find us on Facebook at healthyamericas or on Twitter at health4americas.
SOURCE: National Alliance for Hispanic Health