What Our Sistas Should Know About Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which causes your immune system to attack itself. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, as many as 1 in 250 Black American women will be diagnosed with this condition in their lifetime. Unfortunately, it can take a few years to get a diagnosis because the symptoms of the illness can vary from person to person. For Black women, the time for a diagnosis can be even longer as their symptoms are more likely to be dismissed or attributed to a different condition instead of lupus. Not being diagnosed promptly can significantly affect your quality of life and may even be deadly for some people. That’s why it’s essential to get an early and accurate diagnosis so you can start managing the disease effectively. Monique Gore-Massey discusses what she experienced with lupus as it took several years for her to be diagnosed with the autoimmune disease despite having its characteristic symptoms.