Autoimmune Diseases

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This page is new as of January 27, 2004. Please return to see updates.

Autoimmune Diseases: General

The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association site has lots of useful information, including a section called Autoimmune Diseases and Women - The Facts which describes why autoimmune diseases are a women's issues (the huge majority of people with these diseases are women). This page includes a chart that hightlights the ration of women to men in the population of people with various autoimmune diseases.

Medline Plus: Autoimmune Diseases has information on many of these diseases, including some that are very rare, information on clinical trials, and resources for patients

Autoimmune Diseases Information from the National Women's Health Information Center of the U.S. provides easy-to read basic info on a few diseases

The Enemy Within is an article on autoimmune diseases in women, reprinted from Women's Day magazine at the National Women's Health Information Center. Provides minimal, basic info on a few illnesses, outlining them as a women's health issue.

Autoimmune Diseases: An Attack on Self Tissues from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

The Arthritis Foundation's Disease Center has pages of basic information on many autoimmune diseases

Questions and Answers About Autoimmunity from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases describes autoimmune diseases and gives a list of resources for many specific diseases

Living with Autoimmune Illness by Christy who has several autoimmune diseases has a "Top Ten List for Surviving Your Diagnosis", information on lab tests, and links

Lupus: Discoid and SLE

What Is Lupus? A page of information from the Lupus Foundation of America

The Lupus Foundation of America gives information on what Lupus is, produces a magazine called Lupus Now, has a mailing list you can join, local group chapters across the U.S., and provides information on recent research and information on current clinical research, sells books and brochures,  and has a media center and a student research area on its website.

Lupus Canada has information, including a section called "Lupus the Disease of a Thousand Faces", and a section called "The Immune System and Lupus", smaller member organizations throughout Canada, and has articles, and an advocacy on how people can help themselves.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases  (NIAMS) is part of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. which does research on these types of illnesses, including several autoimmune diseases. Their website has information for patients on Lupus, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and other illnesses. Too Many Shades of Lupus: Information for Multicultural Communties is one of their online brochures.

Tengo Lupus? Do I Have Lupus? is in a PDF file online, or you can order it through the mail, from the NIAMS

The European Lupus Erythematosis Foundation is a collection of organizations in various nations throughout Europe that focus on Lupus

The Lupus Association of New South Wales is a community based counseling and advocacy organization. Their website has information on Lupus, and also on Sjogren's Syndrome (another autoimmune disease)

The Lupus Australia Foundation provides information, support and advocacy.

Faces of Lupus is a great site, with pictures of dozens of women living with this disease. Some time ago we discussed creating a site like this for invisible illnesses, on the now-defunct email list Sick With a Voice, and it's nice to see that someone else had the same idea.

The Lupus Site has information, a chat room, message board, and a "Lupus store", created by a woman with SLE

Sjogren's Syndrome

The British Sjogren's Syndrome Association gives information on the symptoms of Sjogren's

The Sjogren's Syndrome Association of the U.S. provides information online, and works to educate medical professionals and advocate for research on this illness which affects about 4 million American women. They also have local chapters with support groups in a few cities across the country. Phone: 301-718-0300

Dry Eye: Internet Resources for Sjogren's provides detailed information about the disease and instructions on how to join email listservs to communicate with other people who have Sjogren's

Fibromyalgia and Sjogren's Syndrome from the Oregon Fibromyalgia Association addresses the connection between these two illnesses (for more information on Fibromyalgia, see our Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases page)

Sjogren's Syndrome: Online Community has message boards, live chats, and email pen-pal system, articles, and links

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Handout on Health is an online info packet from the NIAMS that gives an overview of what R.A. is

Rheumatoid Arthritis basic information from the Arthritis Foundation

Medline Plus: Rheumatoid Arthritis has news, information on clinical research, handouts made for patients, information on alternative therapies and mainstream treatments

Interactive Tutorial on Rheumatoid Arthritis from the Patient Education Institute, which is apparently part of the National Institutes of Health

Arthritis Support.com has message boards and a chat room, and this small page with a description of R.A.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment from the AllRefer Health site (a commercial site)

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Myra's site has articles, information and links

Scleroderma

The Scleroderma Foundation has internet chats, news, research information, a magazine and a free packet of information you can order

The Scleroderman Research Foundation provides information on symptoms, diagnosis, current research and treatments

Let's Face It advocates for people with facial disfigurement and provides information on specific conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society holds all sorts of events to educate and raise awareness about MS, and provides information on research, treatments, and living with MS. They also have local chapters around the U.S. you can join.

The Myelin Project is an international, grassroots effort to advance research into myelin repair for people with Myelin disorders such as MS

The International MS Support Foundation provides tons of information and resources for people with MS, as well as email listservs, chat rooms, and bulletin boards

Jooley's Joint is an online community of people with MS providing support for each other with email pen-pals, message boards, chat rooms, discussion groups, online diaries and links.

MSers Online has information, poetry, an email list, a message board, and links

Other AutoImmune Diseases

Polyarteritis Nodosa Research and Support Network has many links to sites where you can learn more about this disease and an email network where you can ask questions of a physician and other patients